Ottawa must reverse cuts to refugee health care

RICHARD LAUTENS / TORONTO STAR Order this photo Hundreds of medical professionals and supporters protested the federal government's cuts to refugee health care in Toronto in June 2013.

The Toronto Star

By: Alexander Caudarella Vanessa Redditt Naheed Dosani Published on Thu Feb 13 2014 Ottawa's cuts to refugee health care make a mockery of longstanding Canadian principles on health care and sanctuary. Once again political rhetoric has clouded the debate around the health of refugees. The victims of the worlds global conflicts have been rebranded by the federal government as conniving criminals and bogus asylum seekers. On June 3 ! " #"! significant cuts to the $nterim %ederal &ealth 'rogram ($%&') * health insurance for refugees in Canada * left thousands of refugees without any health coverage based solely on their country of origin. Ontario! among other provinces! has recently stepped in to provide urgent care to refugee claimants. $n response! +inister of $mmigration and Citi,enship Chris -le.ander has lambasted the province for its /scandalous0 decision. -s young doctors! our years of training focus on delivering evidence1based medicine. doctor peddling snake oil to solve all ailments would not be tolerated by our profession and neither should the e2ually un1scientific policy of the $%&' cuts. Considerable research has shown that uninsured patients not only have poorer outcomes but ultimately cost ta.payers more money by presenting later and sicker to the 3mergency 4oom. That is why health care workers from coast to coast have e.pressed their opposition to

this policy. Canadian 5octors for 4efugee Care! more than " national medical organi,ations including the Canadian +edical -ssociation and countless individuals * many of whom had never previously been activists or protesters * have publicly denounced the cuts. $n " #3! provincial and territorial ministers of health publicly decried the cuts! calling on the federal government to uphold its responsibility under the 6eneva Convention on the 7tatus of 4efugees and reverse the $%&' cuts. Consider whats been seen8 a young female refugee #9 weeks pregnant from se.ual assault as a se.ual slave who could not access prenatal care: a young girl with a high fever who lacked $%&' coverage to rule out life1threatening disease: a small child with a heart defect who had no coverage. This last childs parents e.plained they had easily found treatment their native country and were faced with risking their sons health in Canada or risking their lives by returning. %ormer +inister of Citi,enship and $mmigration Jason ;enney and current minister -le.ander have widely promoted the notion that the $%&' provides refugees with medical services beyond those available to ordinary Canadians. This is false. The services they refer to * coverage for essential medicines and minimal coverage for urgent dental care and eyeglasses * are similar to benefits covered under provincial health plans for seniors and those living in poverty. 4efugees and claimants often arrive in Canada with little money and would only be accessing the same benefits available to Canadians in the same financial bracket. The cuts to $%&' make a mockery of two longstanding Canadian principles8 people who are sick should receive care regardless of ability to pay! and that! as part of a global community! we can be a safe refuge for some of the worlds most vulnerable. Theyre also poor science and fiscal policy. -s medical trainees! we find it deeply concerning that we have trained in a system where we have been taught to provide care to those who face illness regardless of background and are now being asked to turn away our societys sickest and most vulnerable. 5octors are being faced with an impossible demand from the federal government8 turn away sick people. 4esearch is being conducted to monitor the cuts and to pressure the government into reversing its decision. &owever! a bleeding patient re2uires an immediate! if temporary! treatment. $n Ontario! among other provinces! the provincial government has stepped in to temporarily stop the bleeding by covering urgent care for all refugees. -le.ander! the governments new immigration salesman! has rushed in to demand that the gau,e and bandages be removed and snake oil be applied instead. &is recent argumentative comments attacking the provincial government and the medical profession are all politics and no science. &e is setting a bad e.ample for this countrys medical trainees. +inister -le.ander8 please sit down with doctors! sit down with the provinces! the frontline health care workers! and the facts and reverse the cuts to refugee health. Dr. Alexander Caudarella is a Family Medicine resident at the University of Toronto; Dr. Vanessa Redditt is a Family Medicine resident at the University of Toronto; Dr. Naheed Dosani is a Palliative Care resident at the University of Toronto.