Social Policy in Ontario

Health-care poverty not good for Canada

Posted on August 16, 2016 in Health Policy Context

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TheStar.com -Opinion/Readers’ Letters –
Aug. 15, 2016.   Paul Caulford

Re: Shaping the future of Canadian immigration, Aug. 3

Shaping the future of Canadian immigration, Aug. 3

The immigration experts the Star interviewed offered up suggestions on what Canada can do to improve our immigration system. Doing a better job keeping Canada’s future newcomers healthy after they arrive was not mentioned.

It is a more than relevant question. Our nation’s future depends on it. In a short 15 years, Citizenship and Immigration Canada forecasts that 80 per cent of Canada’s population growth will accrue through migratory increases. Only one in five will arise from natural increase.

New Canadians are today’s pioneers. Many will be among tomorrow’s nation builders. If we can send them medicine, healthcare and other supports when they in Darfur, Malawi or Bangladesh, why can’t we do that when they are here?

Federal Liberal ministers John McCallum and Jane Philpott have taken many positive steps to restore access to health-care benefits for government-sanctioned refugees and those making refugee claims in Canada. But easily remedied access barriers and inequities stubbornly persist for many other new Canadians.

Many thousands of “legacy” new Canadians reside and often work here in dirty, dangerous jobs while still denied access to health coverage. They can suffer badly. Some have died. Many work without permits in construction to put food on the table and house their families. When their foot is severed in half on the job they must pay tens of thousands of dollars for care in the very hospital they are helping to build, that we use freely.

Provincial three-month waits for health coverage affect 80 per cent of Canada’s new immigrants. One in four are children and youth new to Canada. A lot can go wrong in three months that lead to a lifetimes of poor health status and disability; a diabetic coma and brain injury, a premature labour due to a lack of maternity care leading to a harmed newborn (Canadian citizens) and enormous medical bills. Plans for building successful new lives in Canada are ended.

Many of our new arrivals are from countries where primary care and family medicine does not exist. Unaddressed health literacy barriers linger for years.

This made in Canada “health-care poverty” is good for no one – including Canada’s future. Perhaps it is time for a health-care access amnesty?

Dr. Paul Caulford, co-founder, medical director, The Canadian Centre for Refugee and Immigrant Healthcare, Toronto

< https://www.thestar.com/opinion/letters_to_the_editors/2016/08/15/health-care-poverty-not-good-for-canada.html >

Tags: budget, disabilities, featured, globalization, Health, ideology, participation, rights, standard of living

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