Federal, provincial and territorial health ministers are in Calgary for two days of meetings, with recognition of inter-provincial credentials and funding agreements under discussion.
Federal Health Minister Marjorie Michel’s office said it will also discuss mental health and addiction issues, and vaccination programs.
“The health ministers’ meeting will build on renewed collaboration between the federal government and the provinces and territories to protect Canada’s health-care system,” Michel’s office said in a statement.
Adriana LaGrange, Alberta’s minister of primary and preventive health services, will co-chair the meetings with Michel. LaGrange is scheduled to hold a news conference with his counterparts Thursday afternoon.
In a statement, LaGrange’s office said it is seeking federal commitments to existing health financing programs and strategies to address the health care worker shortage.
He said he is also seeking a promise from Ottawa to give Alberta its “fair share” of funding for provincial pharmaceutical care, without the province signing up to the national program.
Three provinces and one territory have joined the program, which provides coverage for contraceptives and diabetes medications.
LaGrange has said he believes Alberta’s existing coverage plans are sufficient and the province would like to see Ottawa use the funding to boost the provincial program.
While in Calgary, the ministers will also meet with national doctors and nurses organizations, which are calling for cooperation at both levels of government to find new ways to support and retain healthcare workers.
Abuse and burnout are a concern
Linda Silas, president of the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions, said she will pressure ministers to take action on the abuses nurses are subjected to at work.
“We really need health ministers to commit to working to change the culture in health care,” Silas said in an interview.
“It’s simple: ministers must tell their health employers that if a nurse or health worker is hit, the patient (or) family member will be charged.”
Silas said his organization has been calling for change for decades.
“It’s almost embarrassing,” he said. “We know as a society that you would never assault a police officer, because you would automatically be charged. We don’t have that attitude in healthcare.”
The Canadian Medical Association, which represents doctors across the country, released survey data this week suggesting doctors are also fighting mistreatment by patients or their families.
The survey was completed by about 3,300 physicians, medical residents and fellows earlier this year. Preliminary results suggest that 74 percent experienced bullying, harassment or discrimination at work, up from 78 percent in 2021.
The association’s president, Dr. Margot Burnell, said in a statement that more work is still needed to ensure doctors can “thrive in a health system that delivers care to patients while supporting providers.”
About 46 percent of respondents also reported “high levels” of burnout, a drop from 53 percent four years ago.
Burnell said that while the survey suggests significant improvements in some areas, doctors “still feel the heavy burden of an overburdened health care system.”
