What happened to the Romanow Report on Health Care

Well, it went through the meat grinder of a federal-provincial conference, and as Michael Decter has reminded us, “the making of laws and sausages has long been regarded as a spectacle to be avoided.” Never-the-less, the “arrangement” which came out of this meeting, if carefully carried out, many people believe, will go a long way toward implementing the Romanow Report and securing the future health of Medicare.

Romanow recommended an infusion of $15 billion by the federal government over three years to strengthen Primary Health Care and to provide for some elements of home care for catastrophic drug costs. The new “arrangement,” while recognizing these urgent needs, provides only $12 billion over the next three years.

This amount is included in the $34.8 billion which the federal government has committed over five years as a way of ensuring the future of Medicare. About 50% of this amount is targeted to specific uses. The National Health Council recommended by Romanow is to be instituted. It will provide a means of planning, monitoring and reporting on the health system, which will be a key to its future success. Some of the new funds will be spent for medical equipment, health information technology and research hospitals. New money and regular reporting to the public should help reduce waiting lists.

The provincial premiers are disappointed that there will be $3 billion less available than they had hoped for, but the territorial leaders were devastated by the comparatively small amounts that were to be available to them. In view of their small populations distributed over vast areas, and in view of health care needs as indicated by a life expectancy which is ten years lower than that of other Canadians, the territories need substantially more help.

The federal budget which came down on February 18, generally provided support for the “arrangement” previously made by the federal and provincial governments. Since then, an additional $60 million has been promised to meet the needs of the territories.

While we can appreciate the improvements that have been promised for Medicare, we need to be diligent in monitoring the system to be sure that new money and planning structures actually result in better health care and better health for our people. The need of aboriginal, rural and isolated communities to have health services more nearly equivalent to those available in urban centres continues.

What we can do, above all, is to continue to hold up the values of the common good, common responsibility, and the under-standing of health as the well being of the whole person and the whole society.

All Canadians are covered for medical and hospital care…In the US, 42 Million people have absolutely no insurance…. Canada now spends 9.4 percent of GDP on health care while the US spends 14 percent. The US system spends $1,150 US per capita on administration while Canada spends only $325.

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Dear Eye-closer,
Honestly, I think you people must go through life with your head in the sand like the proverbial chicken who kept crossing the road. I was disappointed with The Eyeopener that came out early in November, just at the start of the Christmas season. It's disgusting that you have to go and spoil such a festive time of the year with so much talk about religion.

It's true that the Americans may be building bombs like there's no tomorrow. It's a fact that the media has leaked out all over the place. But surely you can't deny President Bush the opportunity to mark his territory on the pages of human history. Imagine it! Generations from now he will still be remembered as the man who destroyed the planet. I don't agree with everything he wants to do. I, for one, am against destroying the whole planet. Why not leave North America and England alone? But as Jesus reminds us so elegantly, "I may not agree with what you say but I'll defend with my life your right to say it." Hence, the cross.

You say there's no justification for going to war with Iraq. Look again my misguided pacifiers. Al Quaida and Iraq both contain the letter Q. You may think he's Warm Onger but did it ever occur to you that George Dubbya may be an angry messenger of the Almighty God? It wouldn't be the first time God spoke to us from a burning Bush.

Yours in defense of defense,
Walter F. Campbell

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