Prescription for a broken health care system can’t be more politics
Posted on November 13, 2022 in Health Debates
Source: TheStar.com — Authors: Star Editorial Board
TheStar.com – Opinion/Editorial
Nov. 10, 2022. By Star Editorial Board
The way to break this impasse on funding might have to be Ottawa making individual accords with co-operative provinces.
Maybe you’re on an interminable wait list for elective surgery. Maybe you’re one of the growing number of Canadians who have had to head to an overcrowded ER because you don’t have a family doctor. Maybe you’re a parent, panicked because your child is having difficulty breathing because of a respiratory ailment that is surging and overwhelming pediatric hospitals.
Maybe you are rightly wary of an approaching winter and the warnings of a brutal flu season or an assault from another COVID variant. Maybe you’re a health worker who is simply burned out. Maybe you’re a nurse who has already left, feeling overburdened and underappreciated.
Whatever your personal experience, you know that Canada’s once-lauded public health care system is broken and urgently needs a remedy.
When Canada’s health ministers convened in Vancouver this week, they all agreed our health care system was in “crisis.” They all agreed the situation was urgent.
So, they prescribed politics.
Not what the doctor ordered.
Federal Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos arrived promising an increase in health care transfers to the provinces in return for agreement on national health care indicators and creation of a health care data system.
Duclos left Vancouver blaming premiers for undercutting the work of their health ministers by issuing a statement that the Vancouver meeting was a failure, even as the meeting was ongoing.
The provincial and territorial ministers and Duclos met with reporters separately.
The federal minister says that before anyone can start talking about the means to health care reform, we need to talk about the ends. In other words, results. The premiers talk only about money, he said.
According to Duclos, that is not a plan. “That is the old way of doing things. If there was anyone still doubting it, the current crisis is the undeniable proof that the old way doesn’t work. We need to do things differently.”
Duclos was no doubt mindful of the great Health Accord brokered by former Prime Minister Paul Martin in 2004 when Ottawa pumped $41 billion over 10 years to the provinces for health care, heralding the transformative change in our health care system. Provinces awash in such federal largesse delivered no such thing. No federal government has dared take that path again.
The premiers insist Ottawa’s share of health care funding has dropped to 22 per cent and they are demanding an annual unconditional injection of $28 billion more bringing that share to 33 per cent. Ottawa counters that when tax points available to the provinces are taken into consideration, the funding is at 33 per cent. Canadians don’t want to hear about math. They want to hear about solutions.
British Columbia Health Minister Adrian Dix, even before the meeting began, chided Trudeau for his lack of commitment to a first ministers conference, saying the Prime Minister was not a “potted plant.”
After this week’s breakdown, Dix said the premiers have asked for a national health care conference “1,420 times.” Even accounting for the embellishment for emphasis, perhaps Dix and his colleagues should remember the old adage about doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.
No prime minister would sit down with 13 adversaries (and make no mistake, premiers have ensured that would be the tenor of such a meeting). The 13 leaders, many of them running budget surpluses, would look across the table and see, not a prime minister, but an ATM. Trudeau would need the parameters of a deal before he sat for such a meeting.
This matter is urgent. The way to break this impasse might have to be Ottawa making individual accords with co-operative provinces. That is not, as some characterize it, ‘divide and conquer,’ nor is it a threat. It’s a way to get much-needed results at a critical time for our health care system.
https://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorials/2022/11/10/prescription-for-a-broken-health-care-system-cant-be-more-politics.html
Tags: budget, featured, Health, jurisdiction
This entry was posted on Sunday, November 13th, 2022 at 8:32 pm and is filed under Health Debates. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.
343 Responses to “Prescription for a broken health care system can’t be more politics”
« Older Comments | Newer Comments »
Recent Comments
The post is absolutely great! Lots of great info and inspiration, both of which we all need! Also like to admire the time and effort you put into your blog and detailed information you offer! I will bookmark your website!
Nice blog here! Also your web site loads up very fast! What host are you using? Can I get your affiliate link to your host? I wish my web site loaded up as fast as yours lol
I’m partial to blogs and i actually respect your content. The article has actually peaks my interest. I am going to bookmark your site and preserve checking for new information.
I am very happy to look your post. Thanks a lot and i am taking a look ahead to touch you.
Thanks for some other great post. Where else may anybody get that kind of information in such an ideal method of writing? I’ve a presentation next week, and I am at the look for such information.
You write Formidable articles, keep up good work.
Loving the info on this website , you have done outstanding job on the blog posts.
You ma’am have a way with words. Thank you very much!
You have some helpful ideas! Maybe I should consider doing this by myself.
It’s the best time to make some plans for the future and it is time to be happy. I’ve read this post and if I could I wish to suggest you some interesting things or tips. Maybe you can write next articles referring to this article. I wish to read even more things about it!
I know this is not exactly on topic, but i have a blog using the blogengine platform as well and i’m having issues with my comments displaying. is there a setting i am forgetting? maybe you could help me out? thank you.
thank, I thoroughly enjoyed reading your article. I really appreciate your wonderful knowledge and the time you put into educating the rest of us.
Have you always been concerned about these issues?
It’s time for communities to rally.
Thanks for a Interesting item; I enjoyed it very much. Regards Sang Magistrale
Howdy! I simply wish to give a huge thumbs up for the great information you have here on this post. I will be coming again to your weblog for extra soon.
It is perfect time to make some plans for the future and it is time to be happy. I’ve read this post and if I could I want to suggest you some interesting things or suggestions. Perhaps you can write next articles referring to this article. I wish to read more things about it!
Substantially, the post is really the best on this laudable topic. I concur with your conclusions and will eagerly watch forward to your future updates.Just saying thanx will not just be enough, for the wonderful lucidity in your writing.
Thanks a bunch for sharing this with all people you really recognize what you are talking about! Bookmarked. Kindly also seek advice from my web site =). We can have a link alternate contract between us!
Beneficial Blog! I had been simply just debating that there are plenty of screwy results at this issue you now purely replaced my personal belief. Thank you an excellent write-up.