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Highlights of the Ontario Auditor General’s Annual Report:
- Wait times for outpatient procedures, such as gallbladder surgery, have increased from 100 days before the pandemic to 157 days, and from 259 days for forefoot surgery to 356, with Toronto having the longest wait for the procedure of the foot. This happened despite the fact that the operating rooms were empty; one third of hospitals did not meet the target operating room use rate of 90%.
- Some patients undergoing outpatient surgery, in a public or private hospital, or an independent health clinic, were “misinformed” and charged for things covered by the OHIP, such as cataract surgery and “optional add-ons like glasses. specials “that cost up to $ 5,000 per eye.
- The Ontario Securities Commission has yet to collect $ 378 million, nearly 30 percent, of the $ 525 million in financial penalties it has imposed on companies.
- Ontario Provincial Police detachments are “increasingly understaffed,” resulting in fewer patrol hours. At the same time, staff schedules are not keeping up with demand, with 75% fewer calls received overnight, but only 25% fewer first-line officers on duty at the time. The elimination of the crime rate ranges from 63.5% to 33.78% and is linked to staffing levels.
- Ontario Cannabis Retail Corp. “does not have sufficient age verification controls to prevent minors from purchasing cannabis through its online store or inadvertently obtaining it from third-party delivery operators.”
- Homelessness is a “serious” problem in Ontario, but the province does not have a strategy to prevent or reduce it, and those who need housing most are not the first to get it. In general, municipalities do not know if the supports and services are adequate and few have standards for shelters.
- The province has little oversight of 500 private professional colleges, and the education they provide to students may be outdated and inadequate, particularly in paramedicine and information technology. Some universities charge students more than what was disclosed to the government, and four had enrolled international students even though they were not approved to do so.
- Ontario’s 24 public universities continue to receive the least amount of government funding compared to other provinces. They have seen national enrollment drop by 15 percent, but increased international student enrollment by 342 percent, which the auditor called risky “if students decide to go elsewhere or can no longer come to Canada to study. “. International students comprise almost a third of the total college tuition and typically pay more than $ 14,300 a year in tuition, while domestic students pay $ 3,200.
- More than $ 62 million was awarded to public universities with COVID-19 funds, but two of those universities reported an increase in revenue.
- Less than 60 percent of those who suffer a heart attack receive prompt treatment, and waiting lists for cardiac procedures have increased, as has the number of patients who die while waiting. Hospitals have not implemented improved cardiac treatments, such as rapid assessment clinics. Hospitals report a 367 percent difference in costs for similar cardiac supplies and equipment because they order independently.
Robert Benzie is the bureau chief for Star’s Queen’s Park and a reporter covering Ontario politics. Follow him on Twitter: @robertbenzie
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