For Immediate Release                                                                          Thursday, March 25, 2004

Health Network Says More Privatization No Cure for Funding Woes

The Nova Scotia Citizens Health Care Network calls on Premier Hamm to drop any further consideration of more privatization.  The Network was responding to the Premier’s reported comments about what may be done in response to less federal health funding than desired in Tuesday’s federal budget.

According to Health Network Chairperson Debbie Kelly, “Any moves to further privatization here or across the country are completely unnecessary and worse still, will be very destructive to the future of publicly funded and operated health care.”

At the same time, she said: “We share the Premier’s concerns about the failure of the federal government to properly fund health care at least to the 25% level as recommended in the Romanow Commission.   However, proposing more privatization will do little to change their position and only serves the interests of the existing governments committed to privatization such as Alberta, B.C. and Quebec at the expense of smaller provinces such as our own”

“As the Romanow Commission reported, for-profit health care costs more, provides a lower quality of care and is less accessible and accountable for most people.  For example, recent peer-reviewed research has demonstrated that at least 2000 more Canadians would die needlessly each year if hospitals were privatized. It simply does not work to help reduce the current funding difficulties we are facing and will serve to make matters worse.”

Instead, Kelly stated: “What we think is now needed is a massive show of provincial, territorial and public support for the full implementation of the Romanow Report including but not limited to moving to 25% federal cost-sharing including a built-in escalator provision.  We think this is especially important leading up to and during the upcoming federal election campaign. 

We have also written to the Premier to urge his government to work closely with health care providers, communities, organizations and individuals to explore all possible ways to strengthen and improve public health care without having to resort to more privatization. 

She concluded by calling on the Hamm government to drop any further consideration of more privatization in favour of taking all possible steps to strengthen public health care. “If they truly support universal, accessible health care, this is the only way to go.”

- 30 -

For more information, please contact Debbie Kelly at (902) 455-9164.