Atlantic Canada needs health care funding based on need, not population: Green Party
Global News
Federal Green Party Leader Elizabeth May said the Atlantic provinces have a higher proportion of residents who have complex health-care needs.
The Green Party is calling on the federal government to fund health care in Atlantic Canada in keeping with the needs of residents, not based on the share of the region’s population.
Federal Green Party Leader Elizabeth May said the Atlantic provinces have a higher proportion, compared with the rest of the country, of residents who have complex health-care needs.
“The Maritimes, the Atlantic provinces, have a high proportion of people who have a higher need and demand for health care and those needs must be met and the formula must be fair,” May told a news conference in Fredericton.
New Brunswick Green Party Leader David Coon said funding has recently been distributed to provinces on a per capita basis, putting the Atlantic region at a disadvantage.
“Our health-care costs here are proportionately higher than in most other provinces because of our older population,” he said. “Particularly in Fredericton, the issue of retirements among our health-care professionals is serious.”
He also discussed the “disturbing trend” toward private management and delivery of health care in the country.
“In particular I’m speaking about the rise of the corporate ownership of surgical centres,” he said, adding that the New Brunswick government of Blaine Higgs has brought in legislation that “opens the door” to corporate-owned surgery clinics.
“Additional health-care funding from the federal government must not profit private health-care corporations or their shareholders, but strengthen our publicly owned and operated health-care system.That’s got to be part of the agreement with New Brunswick, that Premier Higgs signs with Prime Minister (Justin) Trudeau.”