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Some of the Ontario specialists targeted for fee cuts, however, counter that their income has risen chiefly because they received additional funding to shorten wait lists — meaning they are working harder and longer hours for the extra pay.

Their anger has mostly been aimed at the Liberal government that unilaterally imposed $340 million in fee cuts in May on a limited number of specialities, part of its attempt to erase a $15-billion deficit.

It’s like asking someone with a knife sticking out of their chest if they wouldn’t mind donating blood

But now they accuse the Ontario Medical Association (OMA) of being “complicit” in the focus on specific, supposedly over-paid groups of doctors. The association has actually asked some of those specialities to find even more savings, charged Dr. David Jacobs, a Toronto radiologist.

“We feel that the government’s belligerence and bullying is being rewarded,” he said. “It’s like asking someone with a knife sticking out of their chest if they wouldn’t mind donating blood.”

The OMA, however, says that its performance in talks with the province has generally received positive reviews from members, and that it has broad support from doctors to return to the table and try to work out a new deal.

It even launched a constitutional challenge against the province over the unilateral nature of the cutbacks.

“The second day on the job, I was at Queen’s Park explaining why those cuts were going to adversely affect patients,” said Dr. Doug Weir, who had the misfortune of assuming the association’s presidency just after the province announced the reductions. “We’ve been in the media, we had our advertising campaign over the summer, I’ve been across the province meeting with doctors.”