Health, health care system, pharmacare

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Ralph Klein recently announced the creation of what he calls "truth squads" to spread the gospel of health care privatization in Alberta. Unfortunately for Klein, Manitoba's experience provides plenty of evidence that the truth about privatizing health care may be Klein's greatest enemy.
This paper examines the benefits of recreation for communities, with a specific focus on the benefits to, and barriers faced by marginalized and low-income communities. An extensive review of the available literature reveals that recreation produces enormous benefits for individuals, communities, and society as a whole. Low-income and marginalized communities often benefit the most from recreation, yet also face the most extensive barriers to participation.
Canadians generally are not as wildly and uncritically patriotic as Americans. We are not chauvinists. We don’t continually wave the flag and boast about our country’s pre-eminence in everything from culture to quality of life to military might. Most of us, however, tend to be quietly proud of Canada, glad to live here, and even tolerant of the inequitable society that has developed. The closest we come to jingoism is on Canada Day, when we put our patriotism enthusiastically on display, wearing and waving the Maple Leaf with abandon.
If there is any pandemic sweeping the globe, it’s one of fear and greed, not a deadly new strain of influenza. The news media have filled their pages and newscasts with reports of deaths in Mexico, Texas, and even one in Canada, where a toddler was reported to have died on the east coast. Politicians debate a national vaccination program, while shares skyrocket in firms making germ-resistant medical masks. Airlines and tour operators suspend trips to Mexico. Airports increase screenings of vacationers returning from that country.
With the federal Liberals now semi- officially supporting the banning of Canadian asbestos exports, a political debate that had been suppressed for over 20 years is truly beginning. So long as the Bloc, the Conservatives and the Liberals supported this lethal industry, it was if there was no issue. The Liberals have broken the silence. Good on them and on Michael Ignatieff.
Long-term care in Canada fails to treat either residents or care providers with dignity and respect. The single most important factor in this failure is the inadequate staffing levels. There are simply not enough people to provide quality care. The official data on staffing levels indicate that Canada does not meet the standards for the number of direct care providers established by experts as necessary for adequate care. Moreover, the official numbers often hide the fact that workers are not replaced when they are ill or on vacation, or when a vacancy occurs.
With an election on, it's no surprise that the provincial government is claiming success on everything from the environment to the economy. But one area where it hasn't earned bragging rights is seniors' care. The home and community health care system that seniors and their families rely on is in serious decline, thanks to years of poorly planned restructuring and a failure to maintain (let alone enhance) access to key services as BC's population ages.