Ontarians with positive rapid tests are scrambling to get appointments for confirmatory PCR tests, and those who have succeeded in getting tested are waiting days for results.
But if you have $ 350 on hand, you can get your test results in an hour at private clinics featured throughout the GTA.
As COVID-19 cases rise, clinics like FH Health, which has an Eaton Center location among more than a dozen others, are drawing criticism online for offering $ 159 PCR tests with same-day results. , or $ 350 for an hour. long response time.
Health professionals are concerned, not with individual companies, but with a government that they say has enabled a two-tier system by failing to fund public health care.
FH Health is not the only clinic offering PCR and other tests for a fee. Other clinics in Ontario have similar prices advertised online, such as Rapid Clinic, Santé Medic, Switch Health, and more. Many offer multiple locations; FH Health has 20, and its Eaton Center location opened in November amid a surge in travel.
Hospice physician Naheed Dosani said that while the price of private PCR (polymerase chain reaction) testing is an issue, the broader issue is the inequality of some people being able to pay for faster access to potentially life-saving medical care.
“In the meantime, my patients test positive on rapid tests and can’t seem to get a PCR test for days,” Dosani said.
“It should really piss off everyone in Ontario.”
In an email, FH Health President Melody Adhami emphasized that the company only offers testing for asymptomatic people who do not qualify for public health testing, such as travelers or people seeking peace of mind.
“Travelers and tourists shouldn’t be a burden on our public health system or taxpayer dollars,” Adhami he said, “especially at a time when testing is in such high demand.”
He said that if a symptomatic person turns up, the clinic will reimburse them and refer them to the nearest public testing center.
At a news conference Thursday afternoon, Ontario Medical Director of Health Dr. Kieran Moore announced measures aimed at expediting testing after news of delays and difficulties with the current system.
The Ontario government now recommends PCR testing only for symptomatic individuals in certain occupations, such as hospital patients and healthcare workers; hospitalized patients; people of or working in First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities; high-risk contacts; and several other specific groups.
Symptomatic people who do not fall into these categories are asked to perform rapid antigen tests.
“This updated eligibility will ensure that those at increased risk for serious outcomes and those who care for them have timely access to test results,” said Moore.
Andrew Boozary, a primary care physician and executive director of social medicine at University Health Network, said it is “disheartening” to see this happen two years after the pandemic.
“We just see it at every step, people are affected in a pandemic,” he said. “It does a lot of damage to our health care system.”
Boozary said that the fact that private companies can offer tests for hundreds of dollars is a symptom of a broader problem that existed before the pandemic.
“All this mirage of universality that we have is coming undone,” he said. “It is becoming increasingly clear how not universal our health care system is.”
But right now, with thousands of COVID-19 cases a day, it’s particularly inconceivable, he said, and it alienates the people who need testing the most.
“(There has been) chronic underinvestment in our public health infrastructure. And now, private companies are taking advantage of this and it feels exploitative. It causes real divisions, ”Boozary said.
In an email, a spokesman for the Ontario Ministry of Health said the government “does not monitor which companies choose to offer private tests or the prices they charge.”
These companies have yet to follow the ministry’s guidance for private testing, the spokesperson said.
“Individuals with symptoms consistent with COVID-19 are presumed positive and should follow isolation and / or self-monitoring guidelines.”
ICU nurse Birgit Umaigba said that while she had previously seen PCR tests being sold specifically for travel, she was surprised to see such a high price tag on tests that apparently anyone could take.
After nearly two years of the pandemic, Umaigba said one thing seems clear: “We are not all in this together.”
“This is why people lose faith in public health,” he said, adding that any inequity and lack of access to PCR tests and vaccines will continue to place an undue burden on health workers and the health care system. health care.
“This has to stop, and it has to stop right now.”
Doctors have told the Star that the public testing system cannot keep up with current demand and that the amount of COVID-19 cases can be much higher. One expert estimated that more than a million Ontarians could currently be infected.
Although some argue that private clinics are helping to bear the current burden on the public health system, Dosani disagrees. He said research shows that a two-tier healthcare system can actually deteriorate the public system.
“This is an example of … the privatization of healthcare right under our noses,” he said.
Dosani agreed that unequal access to healthcare has been a trend throughout the pandemic and said the government should do everything in its power to make access to free trials faster and more equitable.
On its website, FH Health advertises its PCR tests for international travel, workplace safety and peace of mind.
“Everyone deserves peace of mind,” Dosani said.
With files from Alyshah Hasham
Reference-www.thestar.com