“We’ll never stop agitating for expanded pharmacare,” says Don Davies
This week’s edition of who is saying what about public health care is compiled by Pat Van Horne.
NDP wants pharmacare expanded
“I’m glad to hear that [Carney] is going to complete agreements with all the provinces and territories. . . So the two major classes of drugs that we negotiated last Parliament are the first step of having universal access through our public health care system, and we’ll never stop agitating for expanded pharmacare so everybody can get the medication that they need,” said NDP interim leader Don Davies, who worked with the previous Liberal government to craft the current legislation, to the Toronto Star, September 12, 2025
Mammography clinic saving lives in remote Alberta communities
“That’s what saved my life. It chokes me up. If I didn’t decide to come … I wouldn’t be here today. So, I’m very thankful . . . It makes a big difference. I know a lot of women who go to these mobile units, women who wouldn’t normally go to Grande Prairie to get this done,” said Barbara Goodswimmer, an elder of Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation whose Cree name is Waschascoos, meaning little muskrat, to CBC, September 16, 2025
Manitoba nurses say their ‘grey-listing’ action resulted in increased police presence
“This is something we’ve been advocating for long before the nurses at Health Sciences Centres grey-listed (the hospital). . . I think this is a direct result of the nurses having the courage to grey list,” said Manitoba Nurses Union President Darlene Jackson, to the Winnipeg Free Press, September 9, 2025
TV show recognizes Filipino health workers, second-largest racialized group in Canadian health care
“I love finally that they’ve incorporated Filipinos in medical shows. It is reality. You can’t go into a nursing unit and not see at least one or two Filipinos . . . We talk to each other, not even just making jokes necessarily, but we talking to each other about diagnoses. . . It’s easier for a lot of people to talk to each other in their native tongue and just work together,” said registered nurse Charlee Flores, who works at Toronto General Hospital, to CBC, September 13, 2025
Government agency to take control of vaccine injury support program
“This is part of our commitment to significantly reducing reliance on external consultants, while improving the capacity of the public service to hire expertise in-house . . .We will publicly share further details on how the program will be delivered under the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) when they become available,” said Guillaume Bertrand, director of communications for Federal Health Minister Marjorie Michel, The Globe and Mail, September 9, 2025
Make health care a “nation-building” priority, says Canadian Medical Association
“Recent polling shows that nearly all Canadians (89%) believe improving access to universal health care should be a key priority. . .Canadians know that there cannot be a stronger Canada without better health care. They shouldn’t have to worry about accessing health care with so many other concerns on their shoulders,” said CMA President Dr. Margot Burnell, in a statement, September 15, 2025
