Canada, thanks largely to both Trudeaus, has had a close and friendly   
   relationship with Cuba.  Hopefully some of their doctors will be willing to   
   help in Ontario - and maybe Quebec.  They're known to be amongst the best in   
   the world and they have 14    
   medical schools on that list of World Directory of Medical Schools.   
   ___________________________________   
   CBC News · Posted: Apr 03, 2020   
      
   Some internationally trained doctors can apply for 30-day Ontario licence to   
   fight COVID-19   
      
   International medical graduates who've passed their exams to practise in   
   Canada, or have graduated from school in the past two years, can now apply for   
   a supervised 30-day medical licence in Ontario to help fight COVID-19.   
      
   The short-term licence, called a Supervised Short Duration Certificate, allows   
   some foreign-trained physicians and domestic medical school graduates to   
   practise under supervision at public hospitals, psychiatric facilities and   
   Crown agencies.   
      
   The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) began issuing the   
   certificates last month — without an announcement — by triggering a   
   provision in existing provincial legislation.   
      
   So far, few doctors have applied — although many likely don't know it's an   
   option.   
      
   Vanig Garabedian didn't, but now that he does, the Syrian refugee plans to   
   apply for the licence. Garabedian worked as as an obstetrician and   
   gynecologist in his native country.   
      
   "I have experience dealing with crisis," Garabedian told CBC Toronto. "This is   
   what I can do to pay back the country which gave my family and me another   
   chance to survive."   
      
   The college is making the certificate available at a time of growing strain on   
   the province's hospitals, as roughly one in 10 known cases of COVID-19 in   
   Ontario are health-care workers and more doctors are needed to deal with the   
   expected surge in cases.   
      
   Vanig Garabedian came to Canada as a Syrian refugee in 2015. Now a Canadian   
   citizen, he wants to bring his years of experience as a physician to the front   
   lines in the fight against COVID-19. (Paul Borkwood/CBC)   
      
   Premier Doug Ford has warned that there's very little separating what Ontario   
   will face from the devastation Italy's health-care system has seen, and that   
   scenario has some internationally trained doctors looking for ways to help on   
   the front lines of    
   the pandemic.   
      
   Garabedian practised for 16 years in Syria before coming to Canada in 2015. In   
   the years since, he has passed his Medical Council of Canada exams so that he   
   can continue practising here.   
      
   First licence issued mid-March   
      
   As of last week, CPSO had received only 12 applications, and had approved 10   
   of them. The college couldn't say whether any foreign-trained doctors were   
   among the 10 physicians who were issued licences.   
      
   CPSO issued its first licence through the program in mid-March, and says those   
   who get a licence can apply to extend it an additional 30 days.   
      
   The licences are the product of a provision within Ontario's Medicine Act   
   that's been in place since the early 1990s. The provision exists so that CPSO   
   can issue these temporary licences in situations like pandemics, when there   
   may be a shortage of    
   physicians.   
      
   In a written statement, CPSO told CBC Toronto it's working to fast-track   
   applications so that physicians can start providing care for patients as   
   quickly as possible.   
      
   But before applying for the licence, applicants have to find a hospital that   
   will take them on, and a supervising physician willing to oversee their work.   
   Applicants for the supervised 30-day licence must have:   
      
       Graduated from medical school in Canada, the U.S. or a school that was, at   
   the time of graduation, listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools.   
      
       Practised medicine, graduated medical school or passed Medical Council of   
   Canada exams within the last two years.   
      
       Secured a spot working in a hospital, psychiatric facility or for a Crown   
   agency.   
       Found a physician prepared to act as their supervisor.   
      
   Ontario Liberal Leader Steven Del Duca considers these licences a positive   
   step forward in the fight against COVID-19 — within what current provincial   
   legislation allows.   
      
   But he said Ford and his team overseeing the province's battle against the   
   novel coronavirus should also be looking at harnessing the skill set of other   
   internationally trained health-care workers, such as nurses, technicians and   
   doctors who don't meet    
   the legislative criteria.   
      
   In Ontario, there are 13,000 foreign-educated doctors and 6,000    
   oreign-educated nurses who aren't working in their fields, according to   
   numbers from HealthForceOntario that Del Duca cited in a letter to Premier   
   Ford this week.   
   Province 'actively engaged on contingency planning'   
      
   The Minister of Health's office told CBC Toronto the province is "actively   
   engaged on contingency planning that includes leveraging Ontario's thousands   
   of unlicensed internationally educated health professionals to help address   
   gaps."   
      
   Other jurisdictions within Canada and the United States have taken their own   
   steps toward utilizing internationally trained health-care workers.   
      
   The College of Physicians and Surgeons of B.C. announced Wednesday that it has   
   fast-tracked a new bylaw to amend the province's Health Professions Act so   
   that international medical graduates can apply for a supervised associate   
   physician licence to fight    
   COVID-19.   
      
   It's now in a mandatory two-week review period.   
      
   Last week, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo issued an executive order to allow   
   foreign medical school graduates who aren't licensed to practise in the U.S.   
   to provide patient care in hospitals, as long as they've completed one year of   
   graduate medical    
   education.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)