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TORONTO — The Ontario Medical Association says there are still 850,000 people in the province who do not have a family doctor.
OMA president Dr. Ken Arnold says Ontario is short about 2,500 doctors, and notes that 2,600 physicians currently working in the province are over the age of 65.
He says if those physicians decide to retire, Ontario would lose about 10 per cent of its family doctors and about 13 per cent of its specialists.
Arnold also says the province's decision to focus on reducing wait times for specific surgeries, such as hip and knee replacements, is leaving patients with back and shoulder problems further behind.
He says all patients deserve speedy access to medical care, not just those in areas identified by the government as a priority.
The OMA and the province are negotiating a new contract agreement to replace a four-year deal that expired on March 31.
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