Nurses demand national action on health care

MNU president Sandi Mowat has joined CFNU president Linda Silas and representatives of Canada's provincial nurses unions at Niagara-on-the Lake during the Council of Federation meetings, a meeting of all provincial and territorial premiers.

CFNU has been advocating for national discussions on key health priorities, such as a universal Pharamacare program, a comprehensive approach to long term and continuing care, greater attention to health human resources and a re-negotiated Health Accord.

"Nurses believe that implementing a universal Pharmacare program, enhancing innovative services for continuing care, and developing a coordinated health human resource strategy are essential components in building a strong economy,” said Silas.

Silas urged the premiers to be bold and to continue to work together to create a national Pharmacare program that meets the needs of Canadians and to press the federal government to negotiate a new health accord with the provinces.

The group will also participate in a Shadow Summit, organized by the Canadian Health Coalition and Ontario Health Coalition.

Mowat will be presenting at a workshop titled Re-Publicizing Medicare: Turning around privatization and will focus on the re-publicizing of the Pan-Am Clinic and the lessons learned from it.

In 2001, Winnipeg’s Pan-Am clinic – a private, for-profit sports medicine centre became public and joined the Winnipeg regional health authority. This led to reduced wait times and cost of some surgeries. The Pan-Am clinic is often referenced as proof that a public approach to health care is not only feasible but far more accountable as well as more efficient than the private-sector model.