Alberta’s Friends of Medicare opposes privately delivered health care
This week’s edition of who is saying what about public health care is compiled by Pat Van Horne.
Public risk, private profit if planned Alberta clinic goes ahead
“There’s been no request for proposal. There’s been no public process about what needs they’re even trying to meet from the government side . . . It’s not totally clear how it will work . . . But it’s clearly looking at a different model for how they can bring in a private, for-profit partner or player into our hospital services,” said Friends of Medicare Executive Director Chris Gallaway to CBC News, August 19, 2024
We already handed $85,000 over to this company to produce a privatization proposal to pitch back to us.
— Friends of Medicare (@FriendsMedicare) August 19, 2024
Allowing privately delivered urgent care would be a massive, unprecedented shift. The future of Airdrie's health care must put patients over profits!https://t.co/SFro0IRtLW
“As far as I’m aware, this is the first example of a publicly-funded, privately-for-profit-delivered urgent care centre in Canada. . . Somebody needs to run the building, somebody needs to hire the staff. All of that stuff is going to be done with profit in mind. And I presume there’s going to be an investor behind all of this, and they’re not a charity,” said Braden Manns, professor of medicine and health economics at the University of Calgary, to CBC News, August 19, 2024
Canada needs a primary-care health workforce committed to collaboration
“Every person in Canada should have access to a primary care team that can manage health issues faced by a patient collaboratively. Whoever is the first point of contact in the health system should ensure that a patient is treated or referred to another team member in a co-ordinated and seamless manner. There is an inherent accountability built into being part of a team—whether co-located or not—to deliver holistic patient care. Without greater access enabled through co-ordinated team-based care, the health of Canadians will continue to suffer. . . No one government, no one health-care practitioner group, and no one group of educators, regulators, accreditors, or leaders can solve the primary care crisis alone. We need an all-hands-on-deck approach, and we need it now,” wrote Dr. Ivy Oandasan, professor, Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Toronto and director of education at the College of Family Physicians of Canada, and Dr. Ivy Bourgeault, professor in the School of Sociological and Anthropological Studies at the University of Ottawa, in The Hill Times, August 19, 2024
Canada Health Act interpretation needed now
“The Canada Health Act makes it clear that medically-required physician services must be publicly funded, and physicians cannot charge patients extra for services that are covered under public plans. . .But the policymakers of 1984 couldn’t have anticipated how virtual care would become a common mode of care delivery . . .Nor could they have imagined how other health-care providers, such as nurse practitioners, have an expanded scope of practice in the health-care system. . . Courageous federal leadership can ensure that the Canada Health Act lives up to its principles in this modern age. Physicians who believe in medicare are in full support. We urge the federal health minister to release the long-promised Canada Health Act interpretation letter, and we hope that provincial and territorial ministers of health will work in good faith to make this happen,” said Dr. Melanie Bechard, pediatric emergency physician in Ottawa and chair of Canadian Doctors for Medicare, and Dr. Jarol Boan, internal medicine physician in Regina, in The Hill Times, August 14, 2024
Newly-elected nurse in Winnipeg riding joins Manitoba premier on ‘listening tour’
“Premier Wab Kinew’s new adviser on nursing culture and safety joined him Monday in Thompson to hear from hospital staff as part of a provincewide listening tour. It was the first-time-elected NDP MLA and nurse Carla Compton joined the premier and health minister to get an earful from front-line workers on how to fix the struggling health-care system. . .Compton won the Tuxedo byelection in June to replace former premier Heather Stefanson, ” said report in The Winnipeg Free Press, August 19, 2024
International Council of Nurses urges safe, sustainable and fair health recruitment practices worldwide
“. . .Without bold, collaborative resolutions to curb the depletion of nursing workforces in vulnerable nations, global healthcare access gaps will continue to widen . . . Unethical nurse recruitment is compromising our shared global health ambitions to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and universal health coverage (UHC) . . .Building resilient, equitable, and sustainable health systems (should) leave no country behind,” said International Council of Nurses President Dr. Pamela Cipriano in a report to the World Health Organization (WHO) and G20 leaders, July, 2024
Long-time health researcher feels helpless in ‘information desert’
“ . . .To get the whole story, we would need to know the cost of our patients’ use of medical specialists, drugs, diagnostic tests, hospital beds, nursing homes and other services over time. I know nothing about our patients’ total health-care utilization patterns and costs. . .What about cultural appropriateness and communications? These are important dimensions of high-quality care. I know nothing about either in our clinic. There are no data. . . Is our care based on the best available scientific evidence? I have no clue. . Canada is a health information desert. I have no routinely available evidence about our performance. . . I’ve spent 50 years learning what I don’t know about health care and the intricacies of its politics . . .Until governments get serious about making the information desert bloom, good governance will remain a mirage, and accountability will be minimal — sadly, as intended,” wrote Steven Lewis, a Saskatchewan-based health policy analyst/researcher, in the Saskatoon StarPhoenix, August 16, 2024
Anti-colonial project taking a different approach to health care in Northern BC
“The Hearts-based Education and Anti-colonial Learning in Healthcare (HEAL) project provides systemic change that is long overdue . . .I often think about the extractive ways that we talk about cultural sensitivity and cultural competency. The HEAL project addresses internal biases rather than just learning about others. The diverse group of contributors created lessons that everyone can learn from in a kind and gentle way. I think it’s going to really change the face of medicine for all of us and improve health outcomes,” said X’staam Hana’ax (Nicole Halbauer), HEAL project manager, to the Prince George Citizen, August 20, 2024
Yukon Medical Association president calls on politicians to unite on health care
“We need to see concrete investments in our health-care system because the status quo cannot be tolerated. Yukon’s doctors cannot continue to witness the suffering caused by a system in crisis and Yukoners deserve the highest-quality person-centred care possible. . . Please commit to de-politicizing health care and working together to appropriately resource and support our health-care system,” wrote Dr. Dr. Alex Kmet, president Yukon Medical Association, in Yukon News, August 15, 2024
