Election puts Canada Health Act in the spotlight as number of private clinics rise
This week’s edition of who is saying what about public health care is compiled by Pat Van Horne.
Canada Health Act under threat by private clinics
“(The private clinic option) takes me out of the public system where anybody has access if they are a patient of mine, and removes me and puts me behind a paywall . . .What this corporation is trying to do is they are trying to say we’re offering extra services, like for example massage services, but they have medicalized these ‘extras’. I think they’re walking a very fine line,” said Dr. Rita McCracken, a family physician in Vancouver and primary care researcher at the University of British Columbia, CBC News, April 21, 2025.
Armine Yalnizian gets it – little reference to health care this election
“The Conservatives say no one will lose access to dental care (currently for children, seniors and adults with disabilities). . . They are mum on next steps for pharmacare. . . The Liberals say they would extend access to dental care to 18- to 64-year-olds, as promised under the Trudeau administration. . .There has been no commitment to pharmacare thus far. . .The NDP say their comprehensive health-care plan would increase the number of doctors and nurses, improve access to care in the north, address growing privatization, ban American firms from buying up health assets, and create a full public pharmacare program in four years,“ said Economist Armine Yalnizyan, The Toronto Star, April 19, 2025.
Reasons to be optimistic about pharmacare but so much more work needed
“There are reasons to be optimistic. It was under the recent Confidence and Supply Agreement between the governing Liberals and opposition NDP that the Pharmacare Act was passed. Four provinces and territories (BC, Manitoba, PEI and the Yukon) have already signed on to expanding Medicare to prescription drugs for diabetes and birth control. . .But of course, the work is far from finished. Nine jurisdictions remain, and future expansion needs to include other types of medically necessary medications,” wrote Danyaal Raza, family physician at St. Michael’s Hospital, and Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto, in Canada Health Watch, April 14, 2025.
Manitoba reports 37 critical incidents, 2 deaths in health care settings
“The incidents in areas where clearly there’s an inability to monitor and provide oversight seem to be increasing . . .There’s a lot of moral injury from staff knowing what should be done and how their patient should be cared for and the reality of what they can do within the patient load and the hours that they have to do. . . .At this point, there are no standards that absolutely say a nurse cannot care for more than this number of patients on an acute medical ward or a surgical unit . . .That will provide safe staffing numbers in relation to patient loads and allow for better oversight and monitoring once those are established,” said Manitoba Nurses Union President Darlene Jackson, Winnipeg Free Press, April 14, 2025.
A pain in the AHS — Alberta health care not healthy
“I say to people: Health care isn’t free. You pay for it with your taxes. My dad paid his taxes all his life and look what he gets from it. And there is no accountability. . . He is no longer driving. He barely gets off the couch because he is in so much pain. He can’t walk with a walker more than 20 steps before he has to sit down . . .If he had surgery when he was supposed to, that would not be the case today,” said Sheila MacKinnon, whose father is one of more than 1,400 complex surgical patients on a waiting list at the Orthopedic Surgery Centre (OSC), a 56-bed stand-alone clinic operated by Alberta Health Services (AHS) in Edmonton. The OSC has been closed since July 2024, to patients who require overnight care due to an ongoing impasse between Edmonton’s orthopedic surgeons and AHS over staffing costs, The Tyee, April 14, 2025.
Hidden effects of inaction for the profoundly disabled
“As my parents continue to age, I know my days of consistent care are numbered. All of us live with the burden of knowing our mortalities are inextricable. My parents are acutely aware that when they are no longer able to help, I will be forced to forgo meals and my sleep, hygiene, bladder and bowel health will be at risk. Without a support worker to adjust my body, my pressure sores will re-emerge and my health will rapidly deteriorate; I will no longer be able to maintain jobs or purchase essentials. . . I say this with full confidence and no hyperbole: I won’t survive without meaningful systemic and social change.” wrote Karli Drew in The Globe and Mail, April 12, 2025.
Canada can be a leader in South Sudan
“South Sudan has one of the highest maternal mortality rates globally, with 1,223 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2020, compared to Canada’s 11. This stark disparity stems from inadequate access to quality health care, leaving many women to give birth without trained professionals or safe facilities. . . . Implementing a set of 27 key interventions could save up to 20,000 lives, according to investment cases for South Sudan by the UN Population Fund. Scaling up these scientifically proven maternal health interventions is both a moral and practical necessity. Access to reproductive health services saves lives. Investing in maternal health also lays the foundation for long-term stability and development, which benefits South Sudan, Canada, and the global community by ensuring safety and prosperity among its citizens,” said Tonia Occhionero, executive director, Canadian Association of Midwives, The Hill Times, April 15, 2025.
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