Stop privatization of health care, coalitions tell Canada’s premiers

Health coalitions from across the country are calling for Canada’s premiers, who are meeting this week in Winnipeg, to stop the privatization of health care and introduce universal pharmacare.

Hundreds of people, including several health and labour unions, rallied by Winnipeg’s Fort Garry Hotel Tuesday – the site of a meeting between Canada’s provincial and territorial premiers.

“It seems to be a shame that the money has been spent on private agencies when we really need it poured back into our public system,” said Darlene Jackson, the president of the Manitoba Nurses Union.

Health-care representatives met with the premiers Tuesday morning. The Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions put forward several recommendations including minimum nurse-to-patient ratios and setting limits on safe hours of continuous work.

President Linda Silas says the premiers were receptive.

“We’re asking the premiers to really think and invest in our public health-care system,” said Silas. “Do not waste our precious dollars in the private system. Every community needs great health care services and that’s through a public system.

“We need to make the health care jobs the best jobs in our community and that will solve our crisis.”

Health coalitions, workers and patients protest in Winnipeg as Canada’s premiers gather to discuss health care on July 11, 2023. (Alex Karpa/CityNews)

Nurse vacancies

Nurse vacancies continue to grow across Canada.

Jackson says Manitoba has one of the highest nursing vacancies across the country, sitting at 2,800. She says front-line health-care providers need to be at the table with the premiers.

“I don’t know a nurse that doesn’t come forward with an issue that doesn’t have a solution to it,” said Jackson. “The solutions don’t necessarily have to cost a great deal of money, but they’re solutions that could be put into action quickly and can actually provide relief for staff and hopefully retain nurses in the system.”

MORE FROM PREMIERS’ MEETING:

• Next steps on new health care deal tops agenda as premiers meet in Winnipeg 
• Premiers meeting in Winnipeg to discuss use of new health dollars, affordability
• Ottawa could help health care with better international recruiting, premiers say
• Alberta calls on federal government to help Indigenous communities with opioid crisis

‘They need to improve’

Patients in addition to health workers joined the rally Tuesday.

Winnipegger Mark Olfert was forced to have his knee replacement surgery done in Ontario due to the ongoing surgical backlog. He says if he didn’t leave the province, he would have been forced to wait another two-and-a-half years for the surgery.

“We should have better care here at home,” said Olfert. “We shouldn’t have to travel out of the province to get care. They need to improve on that big time.”

Commenting on the rally, Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson said everyone has a right to express their opinions. She says she was happy to meet with health representatives.

“We had a great discussion today on health care within our own provincial areas and territorial areas about how we can work together, learn best practices from other jurisdictions as well. It was a positive day today,” said the premier.