Long before Dr. Amit Arya publicly called for reform of Ontario’s long-term care system, he advocated for safe palliative care for racialized communities and became a recognized voice on social inequalities on Twitter, her colleagues saw its potential to help minimize the suffering of people with complex illnesses.
Arya worked as part of a family health team and visited people with disabilities and older adults with mobility problems at home. “One day,” he says, “we got a referral for a patient in need of palliative care and I remember a colleague telling me, ‘I would be great at this.’
This it was terrifying for Arya, who, at the time, had no such experience. But he discovered that there were unique elements that resonated with him. “Especially the focus on supporting families and caregivers,” he says. “Palliative care quickly became my passion.”
Arya, who was born and raised in Vancouver, went to medical school at the University of British Columbia before completing her residency at the University of Alberta. In 2006, he moved to Brampton to practice family medicine, often working with new immigrants.
These days, you can find the 43-year-old’s name in various posts. He is the Palliative Care Leader at Kensington Health, a Palliative Care Physician at North York General Hospital, a Lecturer at the University of Toronto, and an Assistant Clinical Professor at McMaster University, all while serving in leadership and advocacy roles at the local level. , provincial and national. .
For Arya, the common thread of all these roles is the idea that palliative care is not a luxury, but a human right. “People think hospice is about dying, but it’s really about living well,” he says.
She recalls a resident in long-term care who was in great pain and her family was distraught and feeling helpless. “When the pain was properly treated,” he says, “the resident actually started eating and sleeping better and was happy and smiling for the first time in months. (She) finally died peacefully and comfortably 11 months later with her bedside family. “
Stories like this are why Arya is dedicated to filling the gaps she sees in the healthcare system. At Kensington Health, he uses a new “shared care model” of palliative medicine that he developed himself. Arya Deals consultation and assistance to family doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners and personal support workers so that patients with palliative care needs do not depend solely on specialists.
Arya is also outspoken about what he calls a crisis in our long-term care system, where facilities are not well resourced and staffed to serve residents, even before COVID-19 hit.
He describes how he and his colleagues were outraged by the lack of action, particularly by the government, to protect those living in long-term care. In response, he co-founded Doctors for Justice in Long-Term Care, a coalition of more than 1,000 physicians and researchers.
Her activism also extends to improving palliative care in racialized communities. He regularly presents workshops on cultural safety – recognition and respect for the identity of others – and anti-racism and its impacts on palliative care.
Arya is honored by the idea that her leadership is even considered extraordinary. “What drives me are my regular experiences working in healthcare,” he says. “Years of underfunding of our health system and social safety net have created a humanitarian crisis that still continues.”
Throughout the pandemic, Arya has also been very active on Twitter, where there is a large community of healthcare workers promoting public health and science while fighting misinformation. Although advocacy is a healthcare worker responsibility, he says, all that online activity can be a lot of work.
“I dream of a day when my defense is not necessary,” he says. “I hope that one day our system will finally give the people I care about the life they really deserve.”
Reference-www.thestar.com