CMA blasts federal and provincial governments over healthcare funding failure

The group representing doctors in Canada is blasting the federal and provincial governments Wednesday after health ministers across the country failed to reach a funding deal during an in-person meeting earlier this week.

The Canadian Medical Association says it’s “disappointed,” and points out the health care system is in urgent need of cash, and the ministers, federal, provincial, and territorial, continue to bicker.

The CMA says healthcare providers are burning out at an accelerated rate and patients continue to suffer with delayed access to the care they need.

It says the situation is urgent, and collaboration is needed to come up with solutions to address what it calls “critical challenges.”

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While the doctors’ body says it is encouraged that the federal government is prepared to increase health care investments, it says, “we cannot address the collapse happening in disparate parts of our 13 health care systems without detailed, timely, data-driven understanding of existing challenges.”

“Despite health ministers leaving Vancouver this week without an agreement between the federal and provincial/territorial governments regarding funding and without the announcement of a commitment to collaborate on solutions to address critical issues plaguing our health systems, the CMA and other health stakeholders will continue to advocate for actions that will stabilize health systems and ease the painful challenges that providers and patients are struggling with,” the CMA said.

Meanwhile, ministers of all political stripes played the blame game as to why a deal was not reached.

Federal Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos says his government has promised more dollars and resources but the provinces refused to give Ottawa more control over spending.

“It’s not going to happen the same way we were expecting it would happen today, but the good news is again, is we all agree on the priorities,” he said. “The premiers didn’t impose marching orders on my colleagues, the health ministers. We’ve all been together today and recognize the plan and the work ahead.”

B.C.’s health minister, Adrian Dix, says it is the federal government’s fault a deal was not reached.

“To succeed in the future, to build the healthcare system we need, we need the federal government to increase its role and support for public health care and not as has been happening for too, too long diminish that role.

“We need the spirit that we came together with under COVID-19 to be the spirit that we come together with in addressing the issues around the Canada Health Transfer,” Dix said.