As Canada’s health systems strain, more private care would mark ‘deterioration’: minister

Health Minister Mark Holland says while some provinces are using private health care as a stop-gap to try to address system strains, health-care delivery must stay publicly funded.

His comments come after two doctors last week warned that the crisis in Canada’s emergency rooms has become “horrific and inhumane,” and after the Ontario Hospital Association warned last week that a “huge spike” in population and aging residents is a major challenge for provincial health-care providers.

“We’re not going to allow that to happen. Let me be very clear, Canada and Canadians are deeply proud of having a public health-care system,” Holland said in an interview with The West Block guest host Eric Sorensen.

“We know that not only is it a deterioration of care to allow private care to expand, but it really has a huge injurious impact on costs as well. It’s way too expensive.”

Provinces like Ontario are looking to allow more private clinics to ease wait times for surgeries and medical imaging.

While the health minister is steadfast on upholding the Canada Health Act as written, he did acknowledge there will have to be more discussion around virtual health care that is primarily delivered privately.

Holland says work continues to ease pressure on a heavily strained health system, almost a year after a massive expansion to the Canada Health Transfer program was announced.

“So, the system is under a lot of strain that’s natural coming out of the pandemic, but we’re here to work with provinces and territories,” Holland said.

Ottawa is offering the provinces and territories $196.1 billion over the next decade, with $46.2 billion being new money, as announced last year for health-care delivery.

Since then, four deals for the enhanced Canada Health