Optometrists are the front-line workers of the vision care system, and their services are at the heart of screening and diagnostic services in Ontario.

At Teeple Optometry we are passionate and proud to deliver high quality, accessible eye care, to this beautiful community encompassing eastern Lambton and western Middlesex counties.

Unfortunately, for more than 30 years, successive governments have failed to invest in eye care. As a result, OHIP now only covers half the cost of an eye examination. We subsidize the remainder. Coupled with the devastating impact of COVID-19 on optometrists’ ability to see patients, eye care in Ontario is now at risk.

The pandemic has strained health professionals and decimated small businesses.  Teeple Optometry is not immune to the pressure, COVID-19 has only more openly exposed the failing OHIP funding system.

This situation is unfair and is unsustainable.

Going to work every day knowing you will be operating at a loss is challenging enough. But even more debilitating is seeing what you devoted your entire career to – improving people’s quality of life – being dismissed as unessential.

We absolutely love what we do, not only because we can help improve your eyesight, but we also have the ability, through comprehensive eye exams, to detect the early stages of potentially life-threatening diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and potential strokes. It is incredibly rewarding to help people lead healthier, happier lives.

But it’s time for Ontario’s elected officials to open their eyes to a crisis that’s about to become painfully visible for all to see. Our message to government is not one of confrontation but of collaboration. Because it doesn’t have to be this way.

With policy changes or assistance, we can avoid further straining an already overstretched healthcare system.

With statistics showing that 1 in 3 Ontarians will have some form of vision-threatening eye disease by the age of 65, finding a sustainable solution is more pressing than ever.

We owe it to our parents and grandparents, our children and grandchildren, to find a better way forward.

To learn more and to add your voice to the growing number of Ontarians calling on government to work with optometrists, visit www.saveeyecare.ca.