Noting that he is not a Health Economist, the Acting Medical Officer of Health for the Renfrew County and District Health Unit, Dr. Ian Gemmil, says the extra money announced this week by the Federal Government is welcome- but it’s not a cure-all.
Earlier this week the Provinces and Territories accepted a cash-with-conditions offer from the Federal Government which included a proposed 46 billion dollars in new spending over ten years, but Gemmil wonders who will deliver the care without boosting the numbers of trained personnel.
More family doctors are retiring, and a staggering number of nurses have left the profession due to pandemic fatigue.
Can a stable funding formula as proposed maintain the integrity of the publicly-operated system?
Currently about 1.5 percent of national health care funding is dedicated to prevention.
By Rick Stow
