The executive of the Ontario Medical Association has resigned en masse, a week after a non-confidence vote by members.

“After careful consideration of the sentiment of the OMA’s elected representative body, and discussion with the board, the executive committee determined that it was in the best interest of the OMA for the executive committee to resign from their offices and from the executive committee, effective immediately,” said a statement released from the organization’s board of directors late Monday.

The resignations come even though members voted on Jan. 29 not to oust six individual board members, including president Dr. Virginia Walley.

“The executive committee is making this choice in the hope that this will help unify doctors and advance the interests of the profession at this critical juncture,” read the statement.

It went on to say that the board believes the OMA can now refocus on mounting a strong and united front against the provincial government.

The statement described the government as “intransigent in its approach to health care and disrespectful of physicians and the role we need to play in health care reform.”

The executive members will remain on the OMA’s board of directors.

It’s expected new elections will take place in the near future.

The OMA and the government have been without a contract, which would deal with remuneration among other things, for three years.

A tentative deal, endorsed by OMA brass was turned down by 63 per cent of members who voted in August.

The organization represents Ontario’s 34,000 physicians and medical students.

More to come

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