Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Dr. Smart, I was moved by your comments earlier about access to care. Personally, I am very concerned about access to care in the regions. In Senneterre, for instance, in the Abitibi-Temiscamingue region of Quebec, there have been instances where the hospital had to close because of a shortage of doctors and staff.
During the pandemic, we saw a number of significant improvements very quickly, such as telemedicine. The college of physicians was able to change its practice standards quite quickly so that patients could access virtual consultations, which facilitated a smoother flow of services. I understand of course that not all care can be provided this way.
From your point of view, in order for us to use this new consultation method in the longer term, what investments or resources would be needed, and what would have to be done by faculties of medicine in particular?