Hoffman supports coverage for TFWs
Health minister to hold meetings over issue
Alberta’s new health minister supports providing health coverage for temporary foreign workers.
Sarah Hoffman issued a statement Friday, saying that providing better support for temporary foreign workers is a must.
“Temporary foreign workers who are living and working in Alberta deserve support,” she said. “As health minister, I understand that Alberta Health Care Insurance is for eligible Albertan residents, but I need to meet with my ministry to get a better understanding of the provincial role in this situation and how it relates to the federal government’s Temporary Foreign Worker Program.”
The long- standing issue came to the forefront recently after the Alberta Medical Association president Dr. Richard Johnston stated that clear definitions are needed to outline the province’s responsibility for health care for the workers.
Maria Victoria Venancio, a temporary foreign worker, was struck by a car June 2012 on her way to work. The crash left her a quadriplegic. This also meant she could no longer work in the fastfood industry, could not renew her visa or retain access to her health benefits.
In a letter addressed to Dr. John O’Connor, a doctor supporting Venancio’s case, Johnston affirmed that not only should medical care be provided to workers, it’s important that it is provided to workers as long as possible.
“The need for care and support does not end because a worker is due or required to leave the province,” he said. “The temporary workers who come here to contribute to the economy deserve support.”
There is still an appeal from Venancio pending with the federal immigration minister to allow her to stay in the country on compassionate grounds. For groups such as Migrante Alberta, an advocacy group for temporary foreign workers, not to mention the doctors and community members involved in support groups for Venancio, there is optimism.
Arnim Joop, publisher of the Mill Woods Mosaic and a member of one of the support groups, said that although she’s in a wheelchair, Venancio is set on finding a way to return to the workforce.
“Right now, she needs help with therapy and medication,” Joop said. “But in the long run, she won’t need that help if she gets a break right now. So we’re hoping that Hoffman will look into it.”