Toronto Mayor Rob Ford thinks doctors and others in the
“medical field” should not be advocates for the poor, even though the
social determinants of health are a key factor in an individual’s
wellness.
On Monday Ford’s complaint against such a doctor went forward at the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO).
Ford complained to the professional college about Dr. Roland Wong,
who by his own admission helped people on social assistance fill out
more than 15,000 forms to access the now cancelled special diet program.
In a memo sent out to activists, Health4All states “we cannot accept
the bullying of doctors who advocate for the poor. We need to let the
CPSO know that poor people, and their allies, including those in health
care, will not stay home when one of our community members comes under
attack.”
According to the
Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ),
Wong insists he never acted improperly or illegally in assisting social
assistant recipients with the forms. In addition to signing the special
diet forms for his own patients, Wong also assisted others attending
special clinics organized by poverty advocates.
The special diet provided additional social assistance benefits of up
to $250 per month to allow individuals to buy healthy food because of
their medical condition. The Liberals cancelled the benefit after costs
increased from $6 million in 2001/02 to $220 million in 2009/10, a move
doctors have called short-sighted.
This is not the first time Ford has tried to silence critics by
suggesting they have no right to speak out on important issues. Ford
supporters questioned Margaret Atwood’s right to speak out about
proposed cuts to the city’s libraries. Councillor Doug Ford, the Mayor’s
brother, suggested to the
Toronto Star that she should get elected or pipe down.
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