Be Aware Health Care | January 23rd, 2024

The Truth About Vitamin C

We hear it all the time: “Vitamin C supports your immune system”, but what does that really mean? Here’s a quick breakdown and how it helps keep you from getting sick:

Enhanced Immune Function: Vitamin C supports the function of various immune cells. It aids in their effectiveness, essentially giving your immune system a performance boost. This makes it more challenging for harmful germs to take hold in your body.

Facilitates Healing: When your immune system is actively fighting off infections, there can be some collateral damage to your cells. Vitamin C comes in as a facilitator of the healing process, ensuring that your body can recover efficiently after the immune response.

Antioxidant Defense: Vitamin C acts as a powerful antioxidant, meaning it helps neutralize harmful molecules known as free radicals. These free radicals can damage your cells and potentially compromise your immune system. By neutralizing them, vitamin C contributes to maintaining a robust immune system.

Basically, by incorporating sufficient vitamin C into your diet through foods like citrus fruits, berries, and vegetables, or through supplements when necessary, you're providing valuable support to your immune system. It's a practical way of fortifying your body's natural defenses and reducing the risk of falling ill.

In this week’s email:

Ontario

1. Private Clinics Expansion Sparks Debate Amid Record ER Wait Times

2. Ontario Faces Soaring Dementia Cases

3. Ontario Unleashes Investigations Unit

4. Surge Exacerbates Strain on Ontario's Emergency Rooms

Canada

1. Canada's Primary Health Care System Falling Behind

2. Empowering Canada's Healthcare: $86 Million Investment

3. PEI: Canada’s Most Critical Province

Ontario News

Private Clinics Expansion Sparks Debate Amid Record ER Wait Times

Ontario is set to proceed with its plan to expand private clinics to alleviate surgical waitlists amid record emergency room wait times. Health Minister Sylvia Jones announced the licensing process for new facilities, allowing more outpatient procedures and tests to address backlogs. Accreditation Canada will regulate both existing and new private clinics, a task currently handled by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario. The move to expand private clinics has faced criticism, with concerns about a potential move toward "two-tier" privatization. The government aims to permit more publicly funded procedures in these clinics, including MRI scans, CT scans, endoscopies, and joint replacements. The announcement comes amid warnings of a crisis in Ontario's emergency rooms, attributed to winter viruses, inadequate capacity, staffing shortages, and fewer acute care beds.

Ontario Faces Soaring Dementia Cases

The number of dementia patients in Ontario has risen by 48% since 2010, prompting urgent calls from doctors for increased investment in home care. The Ontario Medical Association revealed the data, emphasizing the need for resources to support the growing aging population with dementia. Dr. Andrew Park, OMA president, highlighted the strain on the healthcare system, underscoring the importance of addressing the issue promptly. The majority of dementia care in Ontario is provided in institutional settings, but doctors advocate for a shift toward home care to enhance the quality of life for patients. Community support services, including home care and other supportive measures, need significant budget growth to meet the rising demand and transform the way dementia care is delivered. Dr. Linda Lee, a family physician, stressed the inadequacy of the current healthcare system and called for leveraging Canada's robust primary care infrastructure for high-quality, accessible dementia care.

Ontario Unleashes Investigations Unit

The Ontario government has established a new Investigations Unit, allocating $72.3 million to ensure the dignity and quality of care for long-term care residents. Comprising ten members, the unit will investigate serious allegations, including abuse or neglect, repeated non-compliance, failure to comply with inspector's orders, falsifying reports, and negligence of corporate directors. These investigators, designated as Provincial Offences Officers, have completed comprehensive training to enhance the accountability of the long-term care sector. The Investigations Unit's work complements existing inspection programs and reinforces the government's commitment to improving compliance and enforcement in long-term care.

Surge Exacerbates Strain on Ontario's Emergency Rooms

The Ontario Hospital Association (OHA) warns of increased pressure on emergency rooms due to a surge in population, leading to higher wait times and hospital occupancy. As of January 13, COVID-19, flu, and RSV patients occupied a significant number of acute care beds, with over 6,000 beds used inappropriately or preventable with vaccinations. The OHA attributes the strain to rapid population growth and an aging demographic with complex health needs. The association urges vaccination against respiratory illnesses and emphasizes the need for systemic changes to address the ongoing crisis in emergency departments. 

Canada As a Whole

Canada's Primary Health Care System Falling Behind

Canada is falling behind comparable countries in primary health-care spending and access to family doctors, according to a report in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. The study suggests Canada should emulate nations with high rates of patient-doctor attachment for better outcomes, lower costs, and improved equity. Compared to nine similar countries, Canada spends less on healthcare, has fewer individuals training as family doctors, and faces a shortage, with around 4.6 million Canadians lacking a family doctor. The report recommends adopting measures from countries like Finland and Norway, where residents are automatically registered with the nearest health center.

Empowering Canada's Healthcare: $86 Million Investment

The Government of Canada is investing up to $86 million in funding for 15 organizations across the country to expedite the accreditation process for internationally educated health professionals (IEHP). This initiative aims to address labour shortages and reduce wait times for Canadians seeking healthcare services. The funding will support projects that focus on improving the recognition processes for foreign credentials, providing relevant Canadian work experience, and facilitating labour mobility between jurisdictions for health professionals. The goal is to streamline the integration of highly skilled immigrants into the Canadian health workforce, benefiting key occupations such as nursing, pharmacy, dentistry, laboratory technicians, and respiratory therapy.

PEI: Canada’s Most Critical Province

Residents in Prince Edward Island (P.E.I.) are grappling with a severe shortage of family doctors, with the province ranking last in the country for the share of the population with access to a regular healthcare provider, according to Statistics Canada. In 2022, only 76% of Islanders reported having a regular healthcare provider, a drop of nine percentage points from three years prior, while the national average stood at 86%. P.E.I. has been facing challenges in recruiting and retaining physicians, leading to concerns about delayed treatment and patients being admitted to hospitals with advanced illnesses. The province's government had set a goal to remove everyone from the patient registry by the end of 2024, but with 1,000 more people added to the registry in the past month alone, the target appears increasingly challenging to achieve.