Canada’s health-care system is in ‘crisis.’ Are employers, leaders up for the task?

With one in two nurses thinking of quitting their job, Canada’s health care system is currently in a crisis, Linda Silas, president of the Canadian Federation of Nurses union says.

With one in two nurses thinking of quitting their job, Canada’s health-care system is currently in a crisis, says Linda Silas, president of the Canadian Federation of Nurses union.

“It’s almost like health employers don’t care or don’t know what to do,” she said during The Roy Green Show. “We are very concerned as health-care workers. What we’re talking now is the survival of our system.”

Across the nation, five million Canadians do not have a primary health-care provider, a key issue in the country, according to Silas.

“We need primary health care. That is key because we as individuals have to take care of ourselves to make sure we don’t go in the hospital,” she said.

Canada’s premiers will be meeting in Victoria, B.C. at the Fairmont Empress on July 11 and 12 to discuss the health-care situation as part of one of the twice-annual meeting the Council of the Federation. The Council is comprised of the provincial and territorial premiers.

“The problems Canadians experienced in accessing health-care services during the pandemic have intensified strains in our health systems that will continue unless the federal government significantly increases its share of the costs of health care,” said B.C. Premier John Horgan, in a July 7 press release announcing the meeting.

“Canadians must have the confidence that their health-care systems will provide the services they need. There can be no further delay in having this vital conversation with the federal government.”

For Silas, who will be in attendance at the Victoria meeting, she plans to drive home that one province or territory will not be able to fix the system alone.