Medical association calls for health-care stability amid premiers meeting in Halifax

Politicians and leaders from across Canada are gathering in Halifax this week for the annual Council of the Federation, and Dr. Joss Reimer is hoping health care is a major topic for them.

Premiers from all 13 territories and provinces are meeting this week to discuss a variety of topics. Reimer, the president of the Canadian Medical Association (CMA), is calling on them to stabilize the health-care system across the country.

“We’ve all experienced a long wait time, whether it’s in an emergency room, trying to get a diagnostic test, we’re hearing about people not getting access to cancer treatments in some parts of the country,” Reimer told CTV News Atlantic’s Todd Battis in an interview Monday. “That’s a big problem and we really need to have access to primary care and we need those wait times to come down.

“We have 15 different health-care systems across the country, but we’re seeing common themes of not having a family doctor or waiting in the emergency room. The problems are common and the solutions are common.”

A news release from the CMA says more than 6.5 million Canadians don’t have a family physician. Reimer said each province has unique problems with health care, but they can find solutions by working together on their shared issues.

“We’ll need to have some differences in how we implement things, but the general principles are we need more team-based care and look at administrative burdens,” she said. “There are things we can do to help everyone across the country. We need our politicians and health-care leaders sharing information.”

Reimer noted health-care systems across Canada are struggling to hit numerous benchmarks for service and work is needed to make sure people receive emergency care in a timely manner.

Reimer also said a lack of beds in hospitals creates a cascade effect that clogs emergency rooms and keeps people at facilities when they should be receiving care from their homes.

The Council of the Federation meeting will wrap up on Wednesday in Halifax.