Liberals are continuing their work on Parliament Hill today by hosting a roundtable on how to make Canada’s health care system sustainable for generations to come.
“The Conservative government has taken a rigid stance on no federal role in securing the long-term viability of health care, even though it’s a top-of-mind concern for Canadians,” said Liberal Health Critic Dr. Carolyn Bennett.
Today’s roundtable on health care sustainability comes on the same day as a Conference Board of Canada report found an average of $5 billion a year, growing to $10 billion annually by 2020, can be saved by meeting targets to reduce blood pressure, cut smoking, eat more fruits and vegetables, and increase physical activity.
“Canadians want a partner in Ottawa on health care,” said Liberal Public Health Critic Dr. Kirsty Duncan. “We need to prepare to renew the Health Accord when it expires in 2014, which means addressing the Conservative government’s broken health care promises.”
With representatives from every part of the health care sector, the roundtable will focus on:
• How to fix Canada’s shortage of doctors and nurses;
• Improving accountability, cost effectiveness and the quality of our health care system;
• Implement measures aimed at prevention and addressing the social determinants of health; and,
• Ensure a vital federal role alongside collaboration with the provinces and territories in the future of our health.
“While Canadians strongly support our current system and wouldn’t trade it for anything, we all recognize we need new strategies to make sure it meets the needs of all Canadians, now and in the future,” said Dr. Bennett.
Liberals believe that the long-term sustainability of our healthcare system will depend on a healthier population through federal government strategies to address poverty, equality, life-long learning, clean air and water, and affordable housing.
“The federal government has a role to play in promoting healthy lives for Canadians, which is why we’re showing leadership by building a vision for healthy, thriving and resilient communities,” concluded Dr. Duncan.
Backgrounder on Conservative health failures
Broken promises
Four years after first being elected, the Conservatives have failed to deliver on the following 2006 healthcare promises:
• Failed to implement the September 2004 federal-provincial Health Accord;
• Failed to establish evidence-based benchmarks for medically acceptable wait times, starting with cancer, heart, diagnostic imaging procedures, joint replacements, and sight restoration;
• Failed to establish, by the end of 2006, patient wait-time reduction targets for priority procedures identified by the provinces;
• Failed to provide Canadians with regular reports on progress towards meeting these wait-time targets, as promised in the Health Accord;
• Failed to complete approval of natural and complementary health products and supplements before new regulations kick-in;
• Failed to introduce a National Disability Act to promote reasonable access to medical care, medical equipment, education, employment, transportation, and housing for Canadians with disabilities
Failure to live up to their responsibilities
From ensuring a safe supply of medical isotopes, to protecting food safety, to planning a smooth H1N1 pandemic response, the Conservatives have washed their hands of many of their responsibilities and have refused to reimburse the provinces for the costs of their incompetence. Meanwhile, when our health care system was under attack in the US, the Conservatives refused to defend it, staying stubbornly quiet on the matter.
Lack of vision
While the Obama administration was investing an additional $25 billion in the US National Research Center, the Conservatives were cutting $148 million from Granting Councils, and $27.6 million from our National Research Center.