Thread by @DocSchmadia

It’s a sunny Saturday. I’m in clinic.

I’m on the phone. Sure, virtual care is great for some conditions. But not for all.

The 73 year old with shingles. The 2 year old with a pulled elbow. The 66 year old with heart failure. The 56 year old who keeps mixing up her words.

I love being a doctor. I am fiercely protective of my #patients.

There is a lot I do as a #familydoctor. But sometimes my patients need more specialized care.

Healthcare for my patients has been delayed by #Covid19. They are in limbo.

I worry about that.

Waiting has a cost. While some people are okay, some patients deteriorate on #waitlists. They get sicker. Some of them die.

Our healthcare system was already working at 100% capacity before the #coronaviruspandemic. We cannot afford to lose even one family doctor or specialist.

One day, when the #CoronavirusPandemic is under control, we will have to restart our healthcare system.

That’s why this news from @OntariosDoctors worried me:

1000s of clinics — family doctors and specialists alike — are at risk of closing their doors.

newswire.ca/news-releases/…

This will impact millions of Ontarians. After all, family doctors on average take care of 1300 patients each in their office.

Many like me also care for patients in hospitals.

Specialists on average have 100s of patients they regularly follow and many, many more on #waitlists.

I worked in the #Covid19 Assessment Center yesterday. I saw many patients who were swabbed and had mild symptoms.

I also saw a young 50 something otherwise healthy man whom I sent to Emerg because he could barely breathe.

I helped that man. But there are many whom I can’t help.

My 60 year old patient waiting for his stress test.
My 90 year old patient waiting for cataract surgery.
My 37 year old patient waiting for his neurostimulator.
My 58 year old patient waiting for her knee replacement.

My 25 year old patient waiting to deal with her abnormal pap.
My 12 year old patient waiting to manage her severe comorbid ADHD.
My 59 year old patient waiting for his heart surgery.
My 62 year old patient waiting for a liver transplant.

There are so many more.

I look at them. All of them waiting. Ticking time bombs.

I worry about them all the time.

What if their specialist is the one who closes their clinic? They lose their place in line. Who will I send them to next?

I saw this in my local paper.

I get the government is trying to help.

But this is again a piecemeal solution that will help some doctors. Others will still struggle. Many others.

theifp.ca/news-story/995…

It’s embarrassing to ask for help especially when so many are struggling.

But many doctors do not qualify for the federal financial relief programs. Many are not salaried. Many have some savings that they’ve already used to keep their clinics afloat.

Why do doctors matter?

If you’re on a waitlist,
if you’re seeing a specialist,
if you’re waiting for surgery or imaging or a procedure,
if you need a family doctor,
if you have a family doctor — you know why doctors are needed.

You know exactly why the healthcare system must be maintained.

Yesterday I called @celliottability office. I’m grateful her staff & advisors took the time to hear me out.

But I’m still worried. If an advanced payment is their only plan, they will still lose many doctors. Many clinics will still close. Many surgeries will still be canceled.

I’ll keep trying. I have to. I have 650 patients whom I care about. I have all those patients waiting to come to my ORs.

I’m just one doctor. I know that thousands of doctors around the province are worried the same as me.

Here’s to hoping.

#ONpoli has the opportunity to #DoTheRightThing.

#COVID19 has been devastating to many. We can’t let more hurt and more damage be its legacy.

Keep family doctor & specialist clinics open. We will need all of them when the dust settles. All those patients waiting? They matter.