“Keep Our Health Care Public”, Urge Advocate Groups

Provincial health ministers from across the country are meeting in Halifax today to discuss an approach for a new health-care accord with the federal government.

The Chronicle-Herald reports that the Nova Scotia Nurses Union and the Nova Scotia Citizens Health Care Network are urging policy-makers to refrain from turning to the private sector to address issues such as wait times and accessibility.

Nurses Union president Janet Hazelton is quoted as saying "Canadians want a good health-care system…We believe and we know there's enough health-care dollars, it just has to be spent appropriately."

Hazelton is critical of the province bringing in private sector, for-profit companies to solve some of its issues with wait times. She cites examples of an orthopedic surgery contract with Scotia Surgery and the new 811 nurse-practitioner hot-line which is operated by McKesson-Canada.

Tell us your thoughts Haligonia: As operating room days are being cut back in the province, should government money be spent bolstering our health-care system through private sector services? Where and how would you like to see funds distributed and re-allocated?

Read the full article here: http://www.thechronicleherald.ca/novascotia/36480-groups-call-health-ministers-defend-public-system