MDs urged to return to in-person practice

Province says COVID-19 no longer a barrier

TORONTO — Ontario doctors should be providing in-person care now instead of virtual visits, say their regulatory college, the Ministry of Health and the province’s top doctor.

The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, Dr. Kieran Moore, and a senior government bureaucrat wrote a joint letter saying that earlier pressures such as the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic and a lack of personal protective equipment led to prioritizing virtual care, but the situation has now improved.

“We know that many physicians are striking the right balance between virtual and inperson care, however, collectively we are increasingly hearing about physicians’ offices that are not providing in-person care,” they wrote.

“While virtual care has enabled access to care during the pandemic, given broad vaccination coverage and fully accessible PPE, COVID-19 should no longer pose a barrier to in-person practice.”

The Ontario Medical Association said the letter “paints a broad and unfair characterization of workforce under enormous stress.”

“Virtual care will continue to play a critical role as we reopen safely and create a new normal,” the OMA said in a statement. “Both patients and doctors have found virtual care to be beneficial during these last19 months.”

Doctors are responding to changes in the pandemic as quickly as they can, the OMA said, noting that up until a few weeks ago the province’s science table was predicting the fourth wave would continue.

Doctors still have to work under strict protocols while trying to deal with higher demands due to a backlog and are suffering from burnout, the OMA said.