Ontario Health Minister Sylvia Jones says it is unacceptable that home care and palliative patients in the province are facing shortages of supplies they need, and she is working to have it rectified.
NDP Leader Marit Stiles asked Jones about the issue in question period today, saying doctors are reporting that patients are being sent to emergency rooms because their supplies have run out, patients in palliative care are unable to get sedatives and people facing life-threatening infections are without proper sanitary supplies.
Jones says she has been working with Ontario Health at Home on what she calls a logistics issue.
She says she has directed the agency to reimburse any patient, family or clinician who has paid out of pocket for necessary equipment.
Ontario Health atHome says in a statement that it has new supply contracts as of Sept. 24 and it is doing everything possible to stabilize the delivery of critical medical items.
The Hamilton Spectator has reported that other effects of the shortages have included a patient with a brain injury going 15 hours without sedation medication, a young immunocompromised patient going 36 hours without antibiotics and a patient getting a bone infection after wound care supplies were not delivered.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21, 2024.