The District of Rainy River Services Board is calling on the provincial government for more healthcare support.
“Staffing shortages are not unique to our district; they are a reality for paramedic services across the province, particularly in rural and remote areas,” said Board Member, Charene Gillies.
“Provincial support to help small northern services such as ours would be welcome as we continue to work to provide the level of service our district needs.”
The board met with Minister of Health Sylvia Jones at the Association of Municipalities of Ontario Conference to discuss the issue.
They made several requests for provincial support, including a targeted recruitment campaign to attract paramedics to rural and remote areas like the Rainy River District, and an additional 100% provincial funding for rural and remote services to help with recruitment efforts.
They would also like to see the province continue to address the acute shortage of healthcare workers across the north to improve access to family physicians, emergency paramedic services, community paramedicine, and mental health and addiction support.
The board says they will continue to explore all available options to address the staffing shortages, with the goal of stabilizing the service and restoring full operational capacity.
