The pandemic has been hard on people’s physical health. It hasn’t been positive for people’s mental health, either. Just ask the Public Health Agency of Canada. In 2021, suicidal thoughts were being reported by 4.2 per cent of adults. That compares with 2.7 per cent in 2019, before COVID. If you think that’s bad, new Canadian Medical Association data suggests doctors were reporting suicidal thoughts at more than three times that rate.
The use of digital methods for providing healthcare to Nova Scotia residents has seen success in its first pilot programs. With long waitlists for family doctors and wait times to see specialists reaching two to three years, virtual healthcare is becoming a tool to reduce the length it will take to receive medical assistance in the province.
A Quebec-based chain of private medical clinics recently opened an office in Dartmouth, N.S., setting off alarm bells for local supporters of publicly funded medicine. Dr. Adam Hofmann, co-founder of Algomed, says he's a strong advocate for public health care, but says Canada's strained system can't meet the needs of citizens.
The president of Doctors Nova Scotia says she is cautiously optimistic about the future of health care in this province. The province's health care issues have been in the spotlight as it continues to deal with doctor shortages combined with an aging population. But Dr. Leisha Hawker told CityNews Halifax we do appear to be going in the right direction.