Provinces waiting for pharmacare details from the feds
This week’s edition of who is saying what about public health care is compiled by Pat Van Horne.
Federal government slow to get provinces on board with national pharmacare, BC and Manitoba lead the pack
“Michael Law, Canada research chair in access to medicines at UBC’s School of Population and Public Health, described the government’s pharmacare act, which received royal assent on Oct. 10, as ‘vague,’ leaving a large amount of detail to be fleshed out in negotiations with each province,” reported Ian Campbell for The Hill Times, November 18, 2024
Dr. Nav Persaud heads expert committee tasked with moving national pharmacare forward
“Dr. Nav Persaud, the Canada Research Chair in health justice, will chair a committee that includes a variety of health-care professionals who are tasked with advising the government on the next steps of the program…
“The federal Conservatives have said they would reject a single-payer drug plan if they form government. . . Conservative governments in Alberta and Ontario have also expressed skepticism about signing onto the initial deals with the Liberal government…
“The experts include Linda Silas, president of the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions; Amy Lamb, executive director of the Indigenous Pharmacy Professionals of Canada; Dr. Stéphane Ahern, an associate clinical professor at the Université de Montréal; and Dr. Steve Morgan, an expert on pharmacare systems at the University of British Columbia,” reported Global News, November 14, 2024
Report says about 2.5-million Canadians not getting adequate care for mental health
“We are not doing well. . . For many Canadians, mental health is in fact grim,” said Sarah Kennell, national director of public policy of the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) to CBC News, November 19, 2024
Manitoba government invests in building health care workforce
“Rebuilding health care in Manitoba is our government’s number one priority. . .This new training centre will provide Manitoba students the hands-on training they need to deliver the highest level of care when they enter the workforce. I’d like to thank Red River College Polytechnic for being a great partner and delivering state-of-the-art training right here in our province,” stated Advanced Education and Training Minister Renée Cable, in government of Manitoba media release, November 19, 2024
Burnt out doc tells her story
“I’m a rural emergency room doctor — and I feel the need to publicly apologize. I’m sorry that many of you are often not receiving the health care you need, in the right place or at the right time. And I’m sorry that many of you don’t have a primary care provider, that wait times are so long and that I sometimes see you in the hallway where you have little privacy. While this happening in our rural hospital in Kenora, Ont., I’ve seen similar experiences reflected in emergency rooms across the country. . . As a former humanitarian doctor in conflict zones, I have seen what happens when people don’t have access to health care, and I was beyond stressed when I imagined being at home resting while a neighbour, a friend or any person died,” wrote Dr. Sarah Giles for CBC News, November 17, 2024
Alberta plan for elders not about care
“Albertans don’t fall into one category when they need care — they are one person and need seamless access to all pillars of health care . . .What the system needs is adequate funding, minimum care and staffing standards, and a workforce plan,” said Chris Galloway, Friends of Medicare and Canadian Health Coalition board member to The Canadian Press, November 16, 2024
Wabanaki-Labrador Indigenous Health Research Network gets federal support
“When communities are able to hold the purse strings for funding, then oftentimes they’re able to advance the work that they know needs to be done, in the ways that they want to see it done. . .As we move forward, we’re going to start to dive into more of what we’re hearing from communities about what their needs are,” said Debbie Martin, nominated principal investigator of the Wabanaki-Labrador Indigenous Health Research Network and Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Peoples Health and Well-Being at Dalhousie University, to CBC News, November 6, 2024
Privatization of health care creates more confusion than confidence
“On the one hand, proponents of private health care argue that allowing patients to pay for treatment out of their own pockets helps to reduce wait times and crowding in the publicly funded system. . .But a growing chorus of health-care professionals say they are concerned that for-profit services, such as those offered by private imaging clinics, will do the opposite. . . In my case, after spending $1,500 on an MRI, I was left with more questions than answers. . . And I never did get an explanation from (private company) Whole Body MRI about whether my liver is healthy,” said reporter Kenyon Wallace in the Toronto Star, November 16, 2024
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