The COVID-19 Pandemic will turn 3 this year, and during that time, cancer has not waited.
Cancer care has still been disrupted, and tackling the backlog of surgeries and appointments has been slow in Canada. Our reports have found that cancer patients, survivors and caregivers have felt thrown under the bus through delays in their cancer care. We have also found that for these people, the pandemic is not over, and there is concern about the relaxing of restrictions for people who have already compromised immune systems.
There have been attempts to ease the backlog, such as the Ontario Government’s recent expansion of of surgeries offered at for-profit clinics. However, this has received major backlash from healthcare advocates.
The Canadian Cancer Society is working to have those voices heard in the halls of provincial governments. Check out our advocacy work here.