NDP pledges to “fight so every Canadian has the medicine they need”
This week’s edition of who is saying what about public health care is compiled by Pat Van Horne.
NDP pledges health care defence
“Donald Trump has made it clear he’s willing to use trade pressure to advance the interests of U.S. corporations—including in areas like health care. … Canadians believe in care over profit, and we’ll always stand up to protect our public health-care system. … Health care in Canada was never meant to be a business deal—it’s a promise we make to each other. New Democrats are here to defend that promise from Donald Trump’s trade agenda and the corporate greed trying to cash in on Canadians,” said Federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh in a NDP news release, April 1, 2025.
Manitoba concern over tariffs’ impact on health care
“Trump tariffs are… going to have a very real impact on health care and the infrastructure of health care across the country and certainly… in Manitoba. . . As we have a better sense of what the tariffs look like, our government will have more to say in terms of what the gravity of the challenge is and how we will respond,” said Manitoba Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara to an audience at a Canadian Medical Association conference.
Manitoba concern over tariffs’ impact on health care
“The possibility is we could see a huge recession in Canada and Manitoba and, if that happens, my concern is are we going to start seeing funding decreases in our public health-care system . . .Are we going to see more and more directions to employers to cut more out of the health-care system, to cut more dollars? Because nurses are already working short-staffed with incredibly heavy patient loads,” said Manitoba Nurses Union President Darlene Jackson, Winnipeg Free Press, March 31, 2025.
Minister says Liberal government would work to get more bilateral agreements on first steps to Pharmacare
“We will continue to make sure we deliver for Canadians, whether it’s diabetes medication that is changing lives [or] whether it is oral contraception that’s changing lives,” said Health Minister Kamal Khera.
“I know that Pierre Poilievre has stated in the past that [the Conservatives] would not support national pharmacare, but that was before any of the agreements were finalized. There hasn’t really been much sense on whether they would honour those agreements,” added Jill Pilgrim senior consultant at Santis Health, during a March 20 interview with The Hill Times, March 26, 2025.
‘Indian Hospital’ survivor’s son tells his father’s story
“My late father, Victor Reece, was a survivor of the Nanaimo Indian Hospital. He was born the same year the hospital opened in 1946, and when he was 11 years old, he was in a violent boat explosion that caused third-degree burns to most of his upper body. . .My father spent a year in that institution, where he received barbarous treatment for his devastating wounds. He was not given any pain medication, nor was he given anything to stimulate his mind. Most egregious of all, he was not allowed any visitors or contact with his family. . . As my father would have understood, now is the time to get to work. We have important decisions to make about our future. We must ask ourselves what kind of country we are and what kind of country we want to become. . .First Peoples and Canadians must stand together, defend our shared values, heal our past, and look to our shared future together. . . In my father’s words: ‘We are here to bring beauty into the world,’” wrote Solomon Reece in The Hill Times, March 26, 2025.
Canada needs to attract health research talent say advocates
“(The) opportunity to attract top health research talent to Canada will not last long. We need to move quickly. We must substantially invest in our existing biomedical research infrastructure so that we can augment our already excellent cadre of health researchers with new recruits, while at the same time giving our existing talent the additional support that they have long required but not received. We must also quickly modify our immigration pathway to facilitate entry of biomedical researchers into Canada,” said Dr. Stanley Kutcher, senator and professor emeritus, faculty of medicine, at Dalhousie University; John Bergeron, emeritus professor of Anatomy and professor of medicine at McGill University; Kathleen Dickson, former chief technician from the Montreal Neurological Institute, in The Hill Times, March 31, 2025.
Canadian Nurses Association unveils plan for the future
“Nurses are central to transforming Canada’s health system to achieve better patient outcomes, improved population health, and greater equity and value for Canadians. Our platform provides clear, evidence-based actions that parties can adopt immediately to strengthen health-care delivery across the country,” said CNA President Dr. Kimberly LeBlanc in a news release, March 26, 2025.
5 Quebec regions to stop using health care employment agencies
“We absolutely must offer predictable schedules to better reconcile personal life and work, put an end to job cuts and hiring freezes, and above all, value the expertise of care professionals to avoid a new exodus,” said Julie Bouchard, president, Fédération interprofessionnelle de la santé du Québec (FIQ), CTV News/The Canadian Press, March 31, 2025.
Quebec amendments to prevent docs from bouncing between private and public care, not enough says Québec Solidaire
“We can’t be speaking from both sides of our mouths. . .We can’t be saying that we want to bring people back to the public system while continuing to develop the private system,” said Vincent Marissal, Québec Solidaire Member of the National Assembly, adding that the government should simply forbid doctors from breaking away from the public system, CBC News/Montreal Gazette, April 1, 2025.
Paid plasma controversy: patient feels betrayed
“The idea of partnering with private enterprise to pay people for their plasma and compete with voluntary donation puts our public blood system in jeopardy,” said Curtis Brandell, president of the British Columbia chapter of the Canadian Hemophilia Society. Brandell supports the Krever Commission’s principles, which shaped Canada’s safer blood management system, including the stance that blood and plasma donations should remain unpaid except in rare cases, The Toronto Star, March 28, 2025.
Trump threats make Ottawa heart surgeon cancel plan to move to US
“Canada is under duress right now. . .I felt my role and duty at this point was to directly serve my country from within,” said renowned heart surgeon Marc Ruel to CBC News, March 31, 2025.
Multi-service, health care facility in North Sydney, NS appears on track
“Everything from dimensions, infrastructure and the equipment has been discussed with physicians as the project has proceeded. . .The new buildings will have more space, up-to-date equipment and infrastructure to allow us to care for more patients outside the operating room, and in a more comfortable setting,” said Dr. Blair Williams, an otolaryngologist, about the Healthcare Redevelopment Project that was announced in 2018 by then-Liberal premier Stephen McNeil, Cape Breton Post, April 1 2025.
(Note: story error. Former NS premier misidentified as Stephen ‘Harper’)
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