Universal pharmacare at risk
This week’s edition of who is saying what about public health care is compiled by Pat Van Horne.
Universal pharmacare is an issue of fairness: Manitoba Health Coalition
“Establishing a universal, single-payer Pharmacare plan across the country was always supposed to be the second phase of the federal Pharmacare deal. The new federal health minister is now saying that this is a different government, with a different set of priorities and circumstances. . . Even if the established deals do hold, there is little chance of expanding Pharmacare to offer universal coverage if the federal government is no longer committed to completing the first phase of the program. . . This is an issue of fairness. It is about adherence to the letter and spirit of the Canada Health Act (CHA). The CHA establishes that all Canadians deserve a common standard of health care services, regardless of which province they live in. A deal that only includes three provinces and one territory doesn’t meet that important benchmark,” said Noah Schulz, provincial director of the Manitoba Health Coalition, to the Winnipeg Free Press, August 11, 2025
Generic drug approvals to speed up, according to federal health minister
“I’m encouraging my department to do a lot to lean on approvals done by ‘like-minded’ partners, because if a drug is approved ‘somewhere’, we trust that [they] have the same regulations that we have or quite the same, well, maybe it can speed up the process,” said Federal Health Minister Marjorie Michel, to The Globe and Mail, August 7, 2025
Quebec not part of reciprocal medical payment agreement
“It’s pretty shameful . . .I’ve had citizens in my office in tears. Some of them had up to two to three appointments … all cancelled. They had been waiting months,” said Alain Gauthier, mayor of Témiscaming to CBC News, August 7, 2025. As of Aug. 1, the local health authority for Quebec-Ontario border community of Abitibi-Témiscamingue is no longer handling billing or processing claims for services provided by Ontario doctors.
US misinformation on mRNA vaccines cause confusion in Canada
“We have an incredible amount of real-world safety data as it pertains to mRNA vaccines. The notion that this is not an extremely safe technology, given the billions of doses of these vaccines that have been administered in the context of COVID-19, is disjointed from reality. . .The public expects government to be trustworthy, and to have their best interests in mind. Therefore, policies that appear to legitimize misinformation can create significant confusion and foster additional distrust. . . Given the ubiquity of US news penetration into Canada, it would not be surprising to see the consequences of these decisions in Canada as well,” said Matthew Miller, director of the Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research at McMaster University, to The Canadian Press August 8, 2025
BC union says many factors creating ‘profound’ mental health crisis among paramedics and dispatchers
“It’s imperative that we look after our people, ensuring they are healthy and safe to come to work, so they can continue to be there for your family members when they need them most . . . We need solutions, and we need them now,” said Jason Jackson, president of Ambulance Paramedics of B.C., which represents about 6,000 paramedics and dispatchers across the province, to CBC News, August 8, 2025
Safety concerns prompt Winnipeg nurses’ vote to “grey list” Health Sciences Centre
“I am so proud of the Health Sciences nurses for standing up, being counted and saying, ‘We are not accepting an unsafe situation any longer. . .This is basically saying to nurses that are there, to nurses who may want to go there, and to the public, that this employer does not provide a safe environment to either receive or provide care,” said Manitoba Nurses Union President Darlene Jackson, following 94-per-cent vote to urge colleagues to decline jobs and turn down shifts at the hospital because of ongoing safety concerns, Winnipeg Free Press, August 8, 2025
Atlantic Canadians in poor health, says Economic Council report
“There’s a really important relationship between health and our health care system and the economy . . . If we’re not healthy, we’re not potentially in the workforce or not as effective or productive in the workforce,” said Patrick Brannon, lead researcher on a report by the Atlantic Economic Council, which showed how socioeconomic factors contribute to health outcomes, to Halifax City News, August 8, 2025
Vanier Canada Scholarship awarded for health and environmental research
“Receiving a Vanier Scholarship is a great honour, and I’m immensely grateful to have been selected. . . It’s a signal that this work matters, that building a sustainable public healthcare system in Canada isn’t just a fringe idea, but a recognised national priority . . . My research asks: how can we provide universal access to high-quality healthcare without breaching the planet’s environmental limits? I want to quantify the current environmental footprint of health care across Canada and map out evidence-based strategies for how we can do better,” said Jonathan Drew, PhD student in the Faculty of Health at Dalhousie University and recipient of the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship, to Dal News, August 12, 2025
