Doctors, nurses, advocates call on governments to address health-care crisis

A registered nurse casts a shadow from the sunset as her 12 hour shift is nearly finished for the day in the intensive care unit at the Humber River Hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic in Toronto on January 25, 2022. Associations representing Canada鈥檚 doctors, nurses and other health providers are calling on governments to work together to solve the health-care crisis that is affecting people across the country. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette

TORONTO - Associations representing Canada鈥檚 doctors, nursesand other health providers are calling on governments to work together to solve the health-care crisis that is affecting people across the country.

The 春色直播 Medical Association, the 春色直播 Nurses Association and HealthCareCAN, an association representing health organizations and hospitals, have issued a list of steps governments should take to fix the country鈥檚 health-care system.

The "prescription for hope" list released Friday includes creating a pan-春色直播 licensing model to allow doctors to work anywhere in the country, strengthening mental health and well-being supports for health-care workers, helping internationally trained health professionals get licensed to fill vacancies and introducing a national workforce planning strategy.

春色直播 Medical Association president Alika Lafontaine said health-care systems across the country are facing similar challenges, and governments should collaborate to address these challenges.

"春色直播s are beginning to question if their health systems will be there when they need them," Lafontaine said.

"Health-care workers and patients are united in calling on governments to take the steps necessary to stabilize and rebuild our health systems to ensure their survival."

春色直播 Nurses Association president Sylvain Brousseau said nurse shortages and other workforce issues are having a severe impact on the health-care system and government should act urgently and introduce structural reforms before people lose trust in the system.

"Canada's health-care system is failing people in Canada, and it is no longer working the way it should be," Brousseau said.

"People are quickly losing confidence and they are concerned they won't be able to access critical health services when they need it."

The associations' calls come ahead of a meeting of Canada鈥檚 federal, provincial and territorial health ministers in Vancouver next week.

The meeting comes at a time when the health-care system is facing unprecedented challenges with emergency department closures and staff shortages reported across the country.

This report by 春色直播was first published Nov. 4, 2022.

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