Canadians urge pharmacare expansion as election approaches
This week’s edition of who is saying what about public health care is compiled by Pat Van Horne.
Canadian Health Coalition and others want expanded and extended universal pharmacare
“Right now, what you have is a patchwork across the country where some Canadians are receiving free prescription medication under this program through their provincial plans and millions of other Canadians are not…We suspect that as this successful program begins delivering free prescription medication to Canadians for certain groups of patients, other groups of patients are also going to want the same benefits,” said Steven Staples, director of policy and advocacy with the Canadian Health Coalition to CTV News, April 2, 2025.
Bleeding health care dollars: Alberta’s surgical privatization
“The most troubling finding is that public operating room activity was actually lower in the most recent year than even pre-pandemic… Provincial policy and funding decisions are encouraging the movement of limited staff, including operating room nurses and anesthetists already in short supply, into the for-profit sector, which, keep in mind, only performs the lowest-complexity surgeries, does not provide emergency care, and does not provide follow-up care… ‘This is having real consequences on how Albertans are able to access life-saving health care in the province, and specifically surgical care; median wait times under the [surgical initiative] are longer for most priority procedures than before its inception,” said BC based health researcher Andrew Longhurst, following release of a report by the University of Alberta’s Parkland Institute, The Tyee, April 2, 2025.
University Health Network seeking medical researchers from United States
“People are reaching out from other institutions where they’re worried about their own support,” said Dr. Brad Wouters, UHN’s executive vice president of science and research, adding that recruitment is starting now and will take a few months, with a goal to bring over 100 scientists in six months. Research opportunities will be created in cancer, transplant, neuroscience, rehabilitation, internal medicine and surgery, The Toronto Star, April 8, 2025.
More targeted supports for youth mental health needed
“There’s just the obvious need to ensure we are catering services and directing resources toward programs and services that support young people… The challenge is we don’t have the data to demonstrate who is accessing what, why they aren’t accessing it, and what’s going to make the difference in terms of directing resources in a way that is evidence-based… Having open access data for young people not only validates what they’re experiencing but creates an opportunity to turn their frustration and lived experience into advocacy to say there’s a huge inequity problem here. Young people are getting the short end of the stick,” said Sarah Kennell, director of public policy at the Canadian Mental Health Association, The Globe and Mail, April 8, 2025.
More specialists, hospital upgrades and innovative treatments let cancer patients stay in BC instead of going to Washington state
“Thanks to the progress we’ve made over the past two years, we can now safely wind down this temporary program and focus on getting patients the care they need in B.C.,” said Health Minister Josie Osborne, The Globe and Mail, April 7, 2025.
Alberta denies popsicles and juice boxes to childhood cancer patients, reverses policy after public outcry
“Don’t take away this small piece of joy from these unlucky kids enduring hell… Find something else to pick on. Oncology families are already dealing with enough,” wrote Amanda Moppett-Beatch on Facebook, alongside a photo of her 11-year-old son, Easton, who is currently battling brain cancer, The Tyee, April 2, 2025.
Chaos in the United States prompting docs to want to come to Canada
“Over the past two months, our agents have received approximately 100 calls per month from U.S.-based locations, marking a 33 per cent increase compared to September and October 2024,” Said a spokesperson for the Medical Council of Canada, Global News, April 1, 2025.
Safe injection sites still an important public health initiative; misinformation not welcome
“The rise of drug overdoses in Canada from dangerous street drugs, including opioids, is a complicated public health issue that should be managed with compassion and evidence-based decision making,” wrote the Editorial staff at Winnipeg Free Press, April 8, 2025.
Another reason not to get sick in the United States: robot nurses
“Hospitals have been waiting for the moment when they have something that appears to have enough legitimacy to replace nurses. . .The entire ecosystem is designed to automate, de-skill and ultimately replace caregivers,” said Michell Mahon of National Nurses United, the largest nurses’ union in the United States, AP News, March 16, 2025.
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