Canada’s doctors apologize for harm to Indigenous communities
This week’s edition of who is saying what about public health care is compiled by Pat Van Horne.
Docs apologize for treatment of Indigenous patients
“As an association, our purpose is to support the medical profession and create a more sustainable, accessible and equitable health system for all patients and providers . . . In failing to address systemic anti-Indigenous racism in health care, we have failed to fulfil this purpose. . . We have not lived up to the ethical standards the medical profession is expected to uphold,” said Joss Reimer, president of the Canadian Medical Association, to Canadian Press/CTV News, September 18, 2024
Watch the video of the apology here.
Charter challenge on Ontario law that fines elderly patients $400 a day if they won’t move where government demands
“The most significant cause of delay in transitioning from the hospital is simply the lack of long-term care beds as evidenced by the very long wait lists for admissions particularly for homes that provide better and more suitable care . . . Bill 7 (so-called More Bed Better Care Act) infringes an ALC-LTC patient’s liberty rights by depriving them of personal autonomy with respect to their medical treatment and health care . . . Simply put, Bill 7 clearly deprives ALC-LTC (Alternative Level of Care-Long Term Care) patients of the fundamental rights to informed consent to where they are likely to spend their final days, and to the protection of their personal health information,” stated a lawsuit by The Advocacy Centre for the Elderly and the Ontario Health Coalition, Global News, The Canadian Press, September 23, 2024
Spending on so-called “travel nurses” out of control
“While governments, employers and unions have been working to fix workplaces and solve the health care crisis, corporate stakeholders have been taking advantage of the hardship facing our health care system . . .We can’t allow this profiteering of the health care crisis to continue,” stated Linda Silas, president Canadian Federation of Nurses’ Unions, following release of a report that spending by public health care employers filling temporary staffing needs is expected to surpass $1.5 billion in the current fiscal year, to The Globe and Mail; Alberta Politics, September 23, 2024
Hospital food made husband sicker
“If there’s one time we all need healing food it’s when we’re in hospital. But don’t count on it. While a few Canadian hospitals, such as Vancouver General, have made food a priority, most haven’t. It comes down to both money and skewed priorities,” wrote Marsha Barber, journalism faculty member at Toronto Metropolitan University, in the Toronto Star, September 20, 2024
Beware of long-term care insurance
“While the idea of insuring against a worrisome risk like care costs has intuitive appeal, long-term-care insurance has serious drawbacks and warrants a skeptical eye if you’re considering it. . . It’s expensive for what you get. Also, long-term-care insurance narrowly targets one potential threat . . . Moreover, it won’t cover some forms of high care costs,” said personal finance writer David Aston, to the Toronto Star, September 23, 2024
Quebec issues new directive, clarifying language in health care
“It was never a matter of restricting access to health and social services on the basis of a linguistic criterion. We will provide care, no matter your language,” said Quebec Health Minister Christian Dubé in a statement, to CBC News Montreal, September 23, 2004
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