France Gelinas

– Picture provided by Ontario N-D-P –

By Stew Kernan

Northern Ontario will suffer the most if the Liberal government goes ahead with a 2-year plan to eliminate 50 medical residency places.

N-D-P Health critic and Nickel Belt M-P-P France Gelinas says it’s a proven fact that many who do their residency in northern communities will stay there and set up a practice.

She says it’s another example of the government favouring southern Ontario over the north.

The Ontario Medical Association says there are still 800,000 people in Ontario who do not have a family physician, and warns that cutting the number of residency spaces will lead to doctor shortages and longer wait times for patients.