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The Canadian Institute for Health Information  released a report titled Workforce Trends of Occupational Therapists in Canada last November 20, 2007.  Quoted below was the response of the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists  to this report as posted on their website.

Reported increase in occupational therapists in Canada is insufficient to meet rising demands 

A report released today by the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) indicates that the number of occupational therapists in Canada has risen by 27% over five years from 2000 to 2005. This data confirms that occupational therapy is one of the fastest growing professions in the health care system. Yet, according to the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists (CAOT), despite constant growth in the number of trained occupational therapists, Canadians continue to experience problems with accessing occupational therapy services.

“We are encouraged by the data that shows a rise in the supply of occupational therapists in Canada, but we continue to be concerned about the ability of the Canadian public to receive occupational therapy services,” said Dr. Susan Forwell, CAOT president. “The number of occupational therapists may have increased, but shortages are reported in many provinces, particularly in rural areas.”

The CIHI report indicates that 90% of the 11,400 occupational therapists in Canada work in an urban centre. Almost one-third are also employed in part-time positions, further reducing the availability of services to meet the rising need for occupational therapy.

The need for occupational therapy services is increasing due to the aging population, greater awareness of the needs of individuals with disabilities, deinstitutionalization of persons with mental illness and recognition of the value of rehabilitation. As a result, a recent CAOT review of labour market information and workforce studies indicates a strong demand for occupational therapists across Canada.

Take a look at the sad plight of these Bhutanese refugees.

The video can be seen here.

Here's what the London-based news agency Journeyman Pictures wrote about the video:

"Why did India open fire on thousands of Bhutanese refugees, trying to cross peacefully into India on their way home? This investigation includes rare footage of the shooting.
Shouting "Bhutan is our homeland", thousands of refugees attempt to stream across the Nepal-India border to go home to Bhutan. But the area is soon flooded with Indian security guards and shots ring out. Two people are killed and hundreds wounded."

These Hindu refugees are descendants from the Nepalese who settled in Bhutan centuries ago. But most of the population of Bhutan are Buddhist. In 1990, the King suddenly withdrew the Hindus' citizenship and forced them out. India allowed them safe passage to reach Nepal but now refuses to let them return to Bhutan. As one man laments: 'We are living a life that is worse than that of animals'."

Journeyman Pictures has other eye-opening video features as well. One good feature it did was about how thousands of American soldiers returning from Iraq have severe mental problems. "They feel abandoned by the Bush administration and claim officials are trying to hide the true scale of the problem," according to the report.