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90% of Ontario labs are understaffed amid Omicron surge
An organization representing Ontario laboratory workers is calling on the government for help as 90 per cent of the province’s labs are short-staffed.
Michelle Hoad, CEO of the Medical Laboratory Professionals’ Association of Ontario (MLPAO), said 70 per cent of laboratories in the province were understaffed before COVID-19 emerged. But more workers have since retired or changed careers because of the stress associated with the pandemic.
“These people are working tremendous hours right now. They’re working beyond humanly possible,” she said in an interview on Morning Live Thursday.
“I just visited a lab last Monday and there was a group of people that had worked straight through the weekend. They are working 12-hour shifts with almost no breaks just to catch up and make sure that we get those results.”
Hoad said an average of 270 million regular tests are completed each year such as bloodwork for diabetes, an infection or cancer treatment.
However, the rise in COVID-19 tests due to the spread of the Omicron variant is delaying lab worker’s ability to process all forms of diagnostic testing on time.
The Ontario government announced Dec. 30 that people who test positive on a rapid antigen test are no longer required to confirm they have COVID-19 through a PCR test.
While this short-term solution is helpful for laboratory assistants and medical laboratory technologists, Hoad said more government funding is necessary.
The MLPAO is expected to meet with the provincial government next week to discuss a long-term solution.
One resolution Hoad suggested is to have educators train students so that the existing lab workers can focus on interpreting completed tests.
“Across the province, we have five programs that teach medical lab science,” Hoad said.
“They all have waitlists because we don’t have the resources in our labs to train those kids.”
