TORONTO, May 04, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Ontario Physiotherapy Association commends Premier Ford for the pandemic pay supplement for healthcare workers who are providing frontline care for COVID-19 patients. This program recognizes the vitally important role these workers play in delivering essential services to Ontarians in high risk environments and the personal costs of doing so. We also commend the government for expanding the list of eligible health workers after the initial statement was issued. This was an important first step, but more must be done to ensure that COVID-19 patients have access to all the care they need.

The OPA calls on the government to revisit the eligibility criteria for pandemic pay to ensure that all professions, including physiotherapists and physiotherapist assistants, who face the same risks and hardships and work alongside those already on the list in the care of patients with COVID-19 are included in the program.

Whether in their regular place of employment or deployed by their employer to address urgent patient care needs, many of Ontario's physiotherapists and physiotherapist assistants are providing needed treatments to COVID-19 patients, at all levels of acuity and in all types of hospitals, long-term care homes, retirement homes and in home and community care.

“We work in close contact with COVID-19 patients, often for long periods of time, often with limited access to the appropriate PPE, providing critical care including providing basic care needs, helping patients breathe, managing pain, rehabilitating lost function and regaining independence,” said Paulette Gardiner Millar, OPA President.

We urge Premier Ford, Minister Elliott and Minister Fullerton to correct the striking inequity in eligibility and ensure all professions who provide essential frontline services to patients with COVID-19 are included in the program.

The Ontario Physiotherapy Association is the Ontario Branch of the Canadian Physiotherapy Association and represents over 6,000-member physiotherapists, physiotherapist assistants and students across Ontario.

CONTACT: 
Dorianne Sauvé, PT, CEO
Ontario Physiotherapy Association
dsauve@opa.on.ca
416-579-4295
www.opa.on.ca