Animesh Kaushal, 29, was recommended surgery by doctors when he suffered from a knee injury while skiing last year. But he had to wait for nine months for it.
“I sustained a skiing injury resulting in knee discomfort. Upon seeking medical attention, the initial X-ray failed to reveal any abnormalities, leading to the consideration of an MRI or arthroscopy for diagnosis,” Kaushal said.
His case was considered an emergency but due to a long waiting period, he had to settle for an option where he could get early medical attention.
“Despite the superiority of MRI, a lengthy three to six-month wait prompted me to choose arthroscopy for a quicker diagnosis, albeit delaying the subsequent surgery,” he said.
The arthroscopy revealed a ligament fracture.
“Post-arthroscopy, it was determined that I had a ligament fracture, requiring surgery with a subsequent nine-month waiting period. Fortunately, due to a cancellation, I underwent surgery three months after diagnosis,” Kaushal said.
Angus Reid Institute and the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) conducted a survey in August 2023 which revealed that one in five Canadians said they do not have a family doctor.
The survey revealed 29 per cent of the respondents said they have to wait quite a long time to get an appointment from their family doctor.
People in Canada have reported long wait times not only for medical emergencies but for mental health support, too. They are unable to find a therapist promptly.
Jatin Prabhakar, 24, began suffering from anxiety and depression when he came to Canada in December 2022. He soon had a mental and emotional breakdown.
“While trying to get an appointment for a therapist I would have had to wait for at least a year if I hadn’t known somebody here with a family doctor,” Prabhakar said.
He said accessing mental health practitioners in Canada has been challenging.
“As an international student in Canada, one of the challenges I’ve encountered is accessing mental health support, particularly finding a therapist or psychologist. The healthcare system in Canada, unfortunately, faces significant challenges, including a shortage of healthcare professionals such as therapists and psychologists. This shortage often results in long wait times,” he said.
Due to the delays, Prabhakar’s mental health state started manifesting itself physically.
He started binge eating which led to weight gain. He also became a recluse.
“I was getting an appointment for a year later at first but then I contacted someone here in Toronto who helped me get an appointment within two months,” Prabhakar said.
He said that these challenges are even harder for international students.
“This delay in accessing mental health services can exacerbate existing challenges and make it difficult for international students like myself to receive timely support and care for our mental well-being,” he said.
OurCare is a pan-Canadian initiative where patients and the public share their experiences and ideas to build a better primary care system.
OurCare issued a report in 2023 stating the number of people without regular access to a family doctor or nurse practitioner has risen to 6.5 million in 2023 from 4.5 million in 2019.
Ontario New Democratic Party health critic France Gélinas said in a January media release the government should look after the excessive use of nursing agencies which is causing a problem for the hospitals.
“Establish safe nurse-patient staffing ratios. And cap the use of nursing agencies, which are forcing public hospitals to go deeper and deeper into debt,” Gélinas said.
A nurse working in a hospital in Oakville said that she has witnessed long wait times for treatments, especially in the emergency departments.
She attributed it to a lack of physicians taking on more patients.
“In Canada, there is an increase in patients coming to the emergency departments which essentially stems from the lack of physicians taking on patients,” she said, requesting anonymity.
She is not authorized to speak on the hospital’s behalf but shared her opinion as part of the healthcare community.
She emphasized the need for physicians to take more patients so that the load from the hospitals can be shared.
“We need more doctors to take on patients so less individuals show up to the emergency department for non-urgent things that can be treated at doctors’ offices,” she said.