ICU physician: Ford government is 'gaslighting' health-care workers

An ICU physician is criticizing Ont. Premier Doug Ford's throne speech, saying the government 'has no plan' to help health-care workers and may not believe 'there's any type of crisis' in the province's overburdened hospital system.

An ICU physician is criticizing Ont. Premier Doug Ford's throne speech, saying the government "has no plan" to help health-care workers and may not believe "there's any type of crisis" in the province's overburdened hospital system.

"The system is under way more stress than it ever has been," Dr. Michael Warner, a physician at Toronto's Michael Garron Hospital, told CTV News Channel Tuesday. "If we have any type of COVID bump in the fall, I think the system will be brought to its knees."

Warner said there’s a disconnect between the Ford government and health-care workers, which is only adding to growing "moral distress" and burnout in the profession.

"When you tell people who are working on the front-lines what they're experiencing isn't happening, that's gaslighting."

Ford's throne speech, delivered by Lt.-Gov. Elizabeth Dowdeswell, acknowledged on Tuesday that more can be done to relieve pressure on the health-care system, but no new solutions were offered to the problem.

"Your government is actively engaging with health-system partners to identify urgent, actionable solutions and will implement whatever measures are needed to help ease immediate pressures, while also ensuring the province is ready to stay open during any winter surge,” Dowdeswell said in the speech.

Watch the full interview by clicking on the video at the top of this article.