TORONTO, Aug. 17, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- With a federal election on September 30, Provincial Health Coalitions across Canada are putting all federal political parties on notice. Canadians are horrified at the appalling conditions revealed in long-term care homes during the pandemic but promised improvements have failed to materialize. Throne Speech promises for the federal government to “take any action it can” including setting national standards and making criminal code changes to hold long-term care operators accountable have not happened. The federal government could have already set real national standards in legislation or an emergency federal-provincial-territorial funding accord with sufficient funding attached to leverage real change but it has not done so. Instead, the federal government has set up an industry-run slow process to update a “technical” standard by 2023. Health advocates are demanding real change, not delay tactics, and are warning about the long-term care industry -- dominated by for-profit chain companies -- capturing the process.
More than 14,000 long-term care and retirement home residents and staff died in the first two waves of the pandemic and more than 80,000 residents and staff have been infected in the pandemic to date, many never to regain their former health status. Canada’s record is staggering, much worse than our international peer nations. It underscores that the horrific toll of death and suffering in Canada’s long-term care was preventable. Fully 69% of our country’s pandemic deaths occurring among residents compared to the international average of 41%.
| What: | Provincial Health Coalitions from across Canada are holding a press conference to outline what has not happened to date and to demand real commitments to action. |
| When: | Thursday, August 19 at 12 p.m. Eastern Time by Zoom here: |
| https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87176453572?pwd=N2hqT3JYYVVGdStHaGlaRFp2Q2xCdz09 | |
| Meeting ID: 871 7645 3572 Passcode: 801803. One tap mobile +15873281099,,87176453572#,,,,*801803# Canada or +16473744685,,87176453572#,,,,*801803# Canada. Dial in +1 647 558 0588 Canada. | |
| Who: | BC Health Coalition – Audrey Guay, Organizer |
| Friends of Medicare (Alberta) – Sandra Azocar, Executive Director | |
| Manitoba Health Coalition | |
| Nova Scotia Health Coalition – Chris Parsons, Coordinator | |
| Ontario Health Coalition – Natalie Mehra, Executive Director | |
| PEI Health Coalition – Mary Boyd, Chair | |
For more information: Chris Parsons, Nova Scotia Health Coalition 902-880-8628; Mary Boyd, PEI Health Coalition 902-388-2693; Natalie Mehra Ontario Health Coalition 416-230-6402; Sandra Azocar, Friends of Medicare (Alberta) 780-906-6884; Audrey Guay B.C. Health Coalition 604-379-3600.
