CMA calls for better access to family physicians, reduced wait times as premiers meet in Winnipeg

The Canadian Medical Association has made recommendations for improved health care as premiers meet in Winnipeg to discuss the allocation of government health-care funds.

From staffing shortages to lengthy waitlists, Canada’s health-care system needs drastic improvement, according to the Canadian Medical Association (CMA), an national organization of voluntary physicians and medical learners who advocate for improvements on national health matters.

On July 6, the group released a list of measured recommendations to tackle some of the flaws in the system.

The proposed targets from the CMA are timely, as Canadian premiers meet in Winnipeg this week for their annual summer gathering, where they’ll discuss how the $46 billion offered by the federal government for health-care support will be invested, among other agenda items.

“It's pretty common for us to hear politicians talk about how it's another person's problem,” said Dr. Alika Lafontaine, president of the CMA, in an interview with CTV Your Morning on Monday. “What's important is for people to take responsibility for the reality that a lot of patients across the country just don't have regular access to health care. And when they go for care, they often have to go to places that are already overwhelmed, like emergency rooms.”

The CMA is advocating for specific target goals across Canada, including increasing the number of family physicians to 7,500 over five years and 15,000 over 10 years, as well as reducing the median wait time for mental health and substance services to two weeks by 2028, and to one week by 2033.

Before the government funds are handed out, however, it’s up to each province and territory to create a plan for how the money will be used to hit timelines and targets, and ultimately improve access to care.

The government health deal also includes an increase to the annual federal health transfers, which is funding used to help provinces pay for their health-care systems.