“I believe we can rebuild our public health care system”: Jagmeet Singh

This week’s round-up of who is saying what on public health care includes NDP Jagmeet Singh’s reaction to the failure of his motion to stop health care privatization, questions over Ford’s hospital plans, and a Liberal MP’s opposition to Trudeau’s support for private interests in health care.

NDP motion to protect public health care fails

“There are two roads in front of us, and there is a clear difference between Justin Trudeau and I when it comes to health care. I believe we can rebuild our public health care system. We can work with provinces to recruit, train, retain and respect health care workers. We can pay health care workers properly. We can cut wait times so care is ready when and where your family needs it — not just when you can afford it,” said NDP Federal Leader Jagmeet Singh, following the vote in Parliament in a NDP news release, March 6, 2023

Hospital’s “private-use” deal raises lots of questions

“There’s a real lack of accountability and transparency here. There are so many questions about this deal in particular that we don’t know about, the privacy of the patients, how the patients are being selected. All these things we don’t know, so how do we know if this is a good idea or not?” said Chandra Pasma, NDP MPP for Ottawa West-Nepean, to the Toronto Star, March 7, 2023

Liberal MP opposes Prime Minister’s support of Ontario’s so-called private health care ‘innovation’

 “They’re [proposed changes] terrible, this is absolutely erosion of our health-care system as we know it,” said Sgro. “And the introduction of privatization is where we’re going. That’s my opinion on that whole scheme. If we don’t have enough nurses, and doctors today, you’re going to have even less in the public system. And that’s clearly the direction that he’s going in,” said nine-term Ontario Liberal MP Judy Sgro representing Humber River-Black Creek in Ontario to the Hill Times, Jan. 26, 2023

Report proposes action plan for long-term care

“While preventing mortality among LTC residents should remain a top priority, the . . . other factors should also be considered in implementing LTC reform. (The report) proposes three areas for government action:

“-Develop clear guidance for long-term care institutions on the appropriate balance between preventing death and supporting quality of life;

“-Improve the efficiency of long-term care through efforts that increase the use of home care and allow institutional specialization.

“-Estimate costs associated with long-term care in the coming decades, including home care, and identify mechanisms to finance those costs,” said Michel Grignon, Harneet Hothi, in the report, Life and Death in Long-Term Care: Are We Learning the Wrong Lessons from COVID-19, by the Institute for Research on Public Policy (IRPP)

Trans health care in crisis

“During the pandemic, trans health care underwent further privatization, primarily impacting the poorest, most isolated and vulnerable members of the community. Most of the rural and suburban trans people I interacted with received gender affirming care—or attempted to—on the island of Montréal, as these services are often functionally non-existent outside of major urban areas,” said Carl Bystram, community researcher, support worker and organizer based in Montréal, in the Canadian Dimension, March 6, 2023

Study identifies anti-Indigenous bias among Alberta physicians

“What we did find was that levels of anti-Indigenous bias within Albertan physicians are unacceptably highsaid in an interview Friday. “Even people who would have answered the explicit bias questions in a way that they felt positive toward Indigenous people, what the implicit bias does is gives us a baseline of how people are reacting,” said researcher Pamela Roach, a member of the Métis Nation of Alberta, to CBC News, March 5, 2023

PEI increasing financial incentives for health care recruitment

“(Prince Edward Island) is increasing the financial recruitment incentives for registered nurses, nurse practitioners, and midwives, and adding a new financial incentive for licensed practical nurses . . .These enhanced recruitment incentives will help to stabilize the healthcare workforce and make Prince Edward Island more competitive in this very challenging labour market.” The Recruitment Incentives include:

“-$5,000 for recently graduated and experienced licensed practical nurses;

“-an increase from $5,000 to $8,000 for recently graduated and experienced registered nurses, nurse practitioners and midwives; and,

“-an increase from $15,000 to $18,000 for experienced nurse practitioners and midwives,” stated a PEI government news release, March 3, 2023