Doctors report confusion, disarray following cuts to refugee health program
Members of Canadian Doctors For Refugee Care say the interim federal health program for asylum seekers is in disarray three months after Immigration Minister Jason Kenney introduced changes to the program, but Mr. Kenney’s office is denying claims that the changes have resulted in bad health outcomes for asylum seekers as Citizenship and Immigration […]
Health Canada, CIHR prepare to role out new aboriginal health research program
Federal Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq says that her department and the Canadian Institute for Health Research (CIHR) will open up the application process for a new long-term aboriginal health research fund this month, but critics say the funding won’t offset cuts to other aboriginal programs in the 2012 federal budget. Ms. Aglukkaq and […]
Federal government quiet on health care, an opportunity for opposition parties, says Simpson in new book and Q&A
There is a federal leadership vacuum in Canada’s health-care system and a fearless opposition party in Ottawa could capitalize on the Conservative government’s absence to take hold of the medicare debate in a big way, says veteran Globe and Mail national affairs columnist Jeffrey Simpson who just released his book Chronic Condition: Why Canada’s Health-Care […]
What a difference a decade makes
A decade passes quickly. Fashions, headlines, and elections come and go, but, almost by definition, any change significant enough to transform a society takes place over generations, not a few years. Yet, looking back, some long-term trends sped up considerably over the last 10 years. And these trends matter. Nowhere was this more obvious than […]
Canada should establish a national strategy for MS patients
Nearly 75,000 Canadians live with the progressively debilitating disease multiple sclerosis with another 1,000 Canadians diagnosed each year. Canada’s prevalence rate of MS is among the highest in the developed world. The suicide rate for MS patients is a staggering seven times higher than the national average. This is a shocking statistic and indicative […]
Health care: now is the time to act
I recently attended the Canadian Medical Association’s annual general council meeting, where they released a poll showing that Canadians believe that ‘improving our health care system’ should be the number one priority for the federal government. The NDP is listening to Canadians, and believes the federal government should be innovating and investing in our health-care […]
Feds well aware of health challenges in aboriginal communities across Canada, says Carrie
OTTAWA—The Government of Canada is investing significantly in the health and well-being of aboriginal people. Health Canada is protecting all federally-funded front-line services in First Nation communities, standing behind our commitment to help maintain and improve the health of First Nations. Our government is making sure that aboriginal voices are heard on health research projects […]
Provinces look to cut wait-times and drug costs to meet fiscal squeeze
The provinces and territories are looking to innovations in care delivery and drug plan harmonization to adapt to looming changes to the Canada Health Transfer. Canada’s health-care systems will need to do more with less in 2016 when the federal government’s restructured Canada Health Transfer (CHT) takes effect. Last December, federal Finance Minister Jim […]
No ‘one size fits all’ approach to health care in Canada: Health Minister Aglukkaq
Canada’s federal Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq has managed to handle the federal health file mostly under the radar for four years now—an impressive feat, considering the political importance of health care in Canada. The state of Canada’s health-care system continues to be among Canadians’ leading concerns. Some 68 per cent of Canadians say that improving […]
