Health care in Canada lagging behind
This week’s edition of who is saying what about public health care is compiled by Pat Van Horne.
Report says Canada’s health care falling short compared to other OECD countries
“We have to have a goal of guaranteed access to primary care and funded appropriately. Until we do that, unfortunately, we have a situation where (there are) haves and have-nots… These countries (Norway, the Netherlands, Britain and Finland) have really figured out how to hold their clinicians accountable for timely access to care… I think we actually just don’t know what all the determinants are for why or infant-mortality rate is so much higher than in other OECD countries.” said Tara Kiran, a family doctor at St. Michael’s Hospital and primary-care researcher at the University of Toronto, to the Globe and Mail, December 4, 2023
Primary care is in an emergency, fix it
“Our goal is clear: 100% attachment to primary care where every person is allocated a local primary care team, just as every child is entitled to a spot at a local public school. Access to primary care should be supported as a right by federal, provincial, and territorial governments… We declare a state of emergency and are making plans to reshape primary care and build a system that works to prevent illness, provides accessible care, and improves health for all. We call on governments at all levels to join us, declare a state of emergency, and take decisive action to fix the crisis in primary care,” stated Dr. Andrew Pinto, family doctor, public health specialist and director of the Upstream Lab at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto and Dr. Danielle Martin, chair, Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Toronto in the Toronto Star, December 4, 2023
NDP must not let Liberals off the hook on pharmacare
“The Liberals have known since at least 2019 what is needed to bring pharmacare to Canada. That was the year that an advisory panel on the ‘implementation of national pharmacare’ headed by former Ontario health minister Erik Hoskins issued its final report… That report spelled out how a serious national, universal public pharmacare program could be set up. It calculated that such a setup would take eight years and should be implemented in stages. It also dismissed as inadequate the idea of focusing solely on the poor or those facing catastrophic drug costs. Like medicare, the report said, pharmacare should be available to all, regardless of income. A “fill in the gaps” approach that relied on private insurers would never work. It would be too expensive. . . The Hoskins report was, in effect, a blueprint for action. But it was never taken seriously by the Liberal government that had commissioned it,” wrote Thomas Walkom, freelance columnist for the Toronto Star, December 1, 2023
Dismantling health care in Alberta
“Who is going to move to Alberta to work in health care when they don’t even know what agency or organization they will be working for?” said Heather Smith, president of the United Nurses of Alberta.
“The plan contains no imminent salve for a system collapsing under pressure . . . This is a plan to eviscerate our public health-care system. It’s an attack dressed up as a cure,” said Gil McGowan, president of the Alberta Federation of Labour, to CBC News, November 8, 2023
Story continues below
Critical Care forum a bust? Nova Scotia only Atlantic province to attend
“To be clear, Nova Scotia will continue to participate in regional recruitment forums, as other regions do. . . However, Nova Scotia will not send teams on targeted missions to recruit staff from other provinces,” said Nova Scotia Health spokesperson Jennifer Lewandowski to CBC News, December 5, 2023
Poll says children’s health care suffering
“This poll confirms what parents intuitively know or have experienced firsthand, that demands on children’s healthcare systems are increasing, and the system simply doesn’t have the capacity to deliver care in a timely fashion.Children’s Healthcare Canada is on a mission to right-size health systems serving children, youth and their families,” said Emily Gruenwoldt, President and CEO of Children’s Healthcare Canada in a news release, December 5, 2023
Investigations underway into two Montreal ER deaths
“We currently have a busy situation and the waiting time is very high. All efforts are made to reduce pressure on emergencies, for the well-being of teams and patients. We will never compromise on patient safety,” declared the Centre intégré de santé et de services sociaux de la Montérégie-Ouest (CISSS) in a statement to Global News, December 5, 2023
Who is advocating for seniors?
“Last week the Ontario government held hearings about new legislation regarding home care. There was little to no news coverage even though Bill 135 gives home-care companies responsibility for managing their own practices and reduces government oversight. The bill was written with tremendous input from Policy Concepts, the lobbyists for the home-care operators’, Home Care Ontario (HCO). Most seniors didn’t even know the hearings were happening, never mind give input,” said Gail Rutherford in a letter to the editor of the Toronto Star, December 2, 2023
Support the Canadian Health Coalition
