State of BC Health - October 2022
- Details
- Published on Sunday, 29 November -0001 16:00
- Written by editor
Your October 2022 monthly update
from the
BC Health Coalition
UPDATE
Holding the BC Government Accountable for Better Care for Seniors
On the evening of October 11, the BC
Health Coalition and member organizations hosted Minister of Health
Adrian Dix. The strength of the BC Health Coalition and our
allies was well represented in that we had over 150 organizational
guests and 24 coalition member organizations present at the
Assembly representing over 600,000 BC
residents. Those gathered at the Assembly heard stories from
seniors, family members and workers who have been impacted by the
crisis in seniors care and heard Minister's responses to questions
directly related to his mandate in home support and long-term care.
Curious what those responses were? Watch the Assembly HERE.
ACTION
Health Community calling for Status... for All
On the 10-month anniversary of Prime
Minister Trudeau’s promise to fix immigration laws, members of the
health community across Canada have released a letter sent to PM
Trudeau supporting full and permanent immigration status as a way to
improve individual and community health. The evidence shows
lack of full and permanent immigration status for all
leads to worse health outcomes, systemic barriers
accessing healthcare, and poor working and living conditions that
undermine health. Immigration status is a key
foundational determinant of health. Read the letter HERE
to find out more. If you are a member of the health
community or health-related organizations, you can sign on to the
letter HERE.
OPINION
B.C. needs to expand the scope of primary health-care services | Vancouver Sun
What we face is not a shortage of physicians’ services. Rather, we face a shortage of primary health-care services. Our current system is overwhelmingly physician focused. It emphasizes biomedical solutions to many health problems arising from social, economic and environmental factors — what Sir Michael Marmot, professor epidemiology and a public health expert, argues are the causes of ill health. There is little focus on the social determinants of health. Read more HERE.
WATCH & LEARN
Canadian health care is at a crossroads, and the
fate of equitable and accessible public health care is at stake.
That's why our friends at Canadian Doctors for Medicare are hosting a
health policy summit on Saturday, October 22nd.
This one-day virtual event will bring together medical trainees, physicians and health researchers from across Canada to tackle some of the big questions facing public health care. Register HERE.
Public Health News, Updates & Resources
Victoria clinics charge subscription fee for access to a family doctor Ayendri Riddell, campaigner at the BC Health Coalition, said annual subscription fees are not a solution to the primary health care crisis but a part of the problem. “We already have a two-tier system dividing people who have a regular primary care provider or place of care and people patching together services through walk-in clinics or other options,” she said in an e-mail. ”I’m genuinely concerned that clinics like those being established in Victoria (combined with a broader range of clinics that require some form of private payment) further entrench this gap based on ability to pay.”
B.C. unclear over how Canadian Blood Services private plasma deal will affect donations Canadian Blood Services (CBS) announced a 15-year agreement to partner with a private health-care company to boost Canada's national blood plasma supply and production of plasma products made in Canada, for Canadians. "We have really grave concerns about this deal because it negatively impacts and harms our voluntary blood and plasma collection system," said Usman Mushtaq with the B.C. Health Coalition.
Tentative agreement reached for HEU Facilities members: Biggest wage gains in decades, action on workload, more workplace rights On September 1, the multi-union Facilities Bargaining Association (FBA) and the Health Employers Association of BC (HEABC) reached a tentative agreement covering more than 60,000 health care workers across the province.
BC Seniors: Falling Further Behind The findings in this report from the Office of the Seniors Advocate show that B.C. is providing less support for seniors than other provinces in nine key areas and that overall, the economic challenges to aging at home are increasing in the province unless changes are made. One of the key recommendations in the report is the elimination of "the daily rate for publicly funded home support services" - a key call of the BC Health Coalition.
B.C. ranked worst among provinces for supporting seniors: Advocate “B.C. seniors are not getting the same level of financial support and services as seniors in other provinces and territories across the country,” Mackenzie said at a news conference in Victoria.
Fund it, Fix it BC's future depends on an educated, skilled workforce. But underfunding in the last two decades have led to skyrocketing fees and putting post-secondary education out of reach for too many young people. This directly impacts the human resource capacity in our public health care system. Recruitment for health care jobs remains a challenge and fixing our post-secondary education system would address some of those challenges.
Rural health care crisis in B.C. As the search for answers to B.C.'s rural health care crisis continues, small towns feel they're being shut out of the process. Watch this to find out what the BC Rural Health Network is doing to address this challenge.
No
consultation: B.C. plan to expel seniors from hospitals may not be
'attainable,' care providers say BC’s move to push
seniors out of hospitals in anticipation of the flu/Covid-19 wave this
winter means the chronically underfunded and under resourced home
support system will have to deal with increased workload and
pressure.
Dozens rally in Vancouver to demand end of health-care fees for international students Organizers of the protest argue the additional cost is unfair to international students, who already pay high tuition fees and rent. "It's very exclusionary and very unjust," said Rahil Adeli, a recent graduate and former international student from Iran.
Seniors Helping Seniors Fall 2022 Personal Planning Workshops The Personal Planning Series is your information guide to start and/or complete the planning and documentation for your future personal, medical, and legal requirements. It will answer many of your questions and help you prepare and put documents in place, so your loved ones have clear and specific guidelines to follow.
Busting myths about privatized healthcare As the pandemic and funding cuts stretch Canada’s healthcare system beyond its limits, there’s a big push for increased privatization. Arguments for increasing private care provision are based on three principle myths: that privatization saves money, that it cuts down on long wait times and that it increases service capacity. In a truly public system, public money is used to cover the real costs of care: doctors, nurses, hospitals and supplies for everyone. In a private system, there’s an additional cost: profits.
Donate nowDonations by cheque can be made out to BC Health Coalition and mailed to BC Health Coalition 302-3102 Main Street Vancouver BC V5T 3G7. Or you can give monthly by cheque.
British
Columbia Health Coalition
3102 Main St, 302, Vancouver, Unceded Coast Salish
Territories, BC V5T 3G7, Canada
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