“I’ve been promised universal health care. And I feel I’ve been lied to”
This week’s round-up of who is saying what about public health care includes reactions on the federal budget and a new book on Medicare in Canada. Also covered in this edition of Health files are comments on the privatization of health care and how to address racism in health care.
Universal health care – a broken promise
“I’ve been promised universal health care. And I feel I’ve been lied to. It bothers me that we keep on hearing that we have universal health care. And I think ‘I don’t think so’. All of a sudden, there are cracks in our system and it’s not universal health care anymore. I have grandchildren that I care about. I have a wife that I care about. And I would like to be here for a while,” said 81-year-old Hugh Greenwood to CBC News, April 1, 2023
Federal budget ignores pharmacare
“We don’t see the political willingness anymore . . .With the pandemic, everything was put on hold, and basically, they never got back to this issue of a national prescription drug plan, even if they have all the tools,” said Marc-André Gagnon, Carleton University health policy professor and public pharmacare advocate, to The Canadian Press, April 1, 2023
New book reviews medicare in Canada
“Thoroughly exploring the complicated landscape of medical services in Canada, Fierlbeck and Marchildon offer an extremely well-researched, clear, and useful resource to health and medicine scholars and professionals. The Boundaries of Medicare is an enjoyable and unique read,” said Catherine Carstairs, author ofThe Smile Gap: A History of Oral Health and Social Inequality, on the new book, The Boundaries of Medicare by Katherine Fierlback and Gregory P. Marchildon in The Hill Times, April 4, 2023
Opinion: Privatization won’t close gender pay gap
“Typically, privatizing social services makes them less accessible by creating a two-tier system. One tier is pay-for-access services that only the wealthiest can afford, which drains staff and resources from the other, publicly funded, tier of services. Proponents of privatization claim it will address emergency room closures and surgery backlogs while giving us more choice, but what we are really being sold is poor-quality services that cost us all more,” said Sami Pritchard, director of advocacy and communications at YWCA Toronto, Toronto Star, April 4, 2023
Story continues below
Slippery slope between extra billing and upselling
“. . . I asked him to explain the mass (in the eye) to me, and he looked at me like I had three heads . And then he turned to his assistant and said, ‘Charge this to OHIP.’ I just want people to be aware that when they go to a private clinic, make sure you ask questions, don’t sign any papers. Go there first and get all the information on what they’re going to want from you and then maybe go talk to somebody else,” said patient Lois Cooper, CBC News, April 2, 2023
Opinion: Quebec health bill does nothing to resolve labour shortages
“(Bill 15, or “An act to make the health and social services system more effective) is an exercise in creating a mega-bureaucracy to manage the current bureaucracy,” said Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, leader of the opposition Québec Solidaire party, The Globe and Mail, April 3, 2023
Report says anti-racism policies in health care should be led by Indigenous staff
“Even within Indigenous populations there is significant diversity. As a First Nations person, I need to know more about cultural safety and cultural humility so I can provide culturally safe care to Inuit people, for example. That’s not something my non-Indigenous colleagues are getting asked to do. There can be significant expertise, community connections and relationships and experience and those are really valuable to institutions but institutions haven’t always valued them. So, when we’re asking Indigenous members of our teams to do this extra work, the point is, it should be fairly compensated because it’s part of the value-add to the institution,” said Dr. Marcia Anderson, an internist at Grace Hospital in Winnipeg, and vice-dean of Indigenous health, social justice and anti-racism at the University of Manitoba; she is Cree and Anishinaabe, The Canadian Press, April 4, 2023
Support the Canadian Health Coalition
