Turning kids away
People with serious problems are being charged thousands of dollars for treatment. If they can’t pay, they’re told to go away
A kid with pneumonia couldn’t get a chest X-ray.
A pregnant mom who developed pre-eclampsia, a dangerous condition for mother and child, couldn’t get treatment. A young sexual assault victim was denied medical care. A pregnant woman with stomach pains who sought help from two emergency rooms was told she’d have to pay for treatment. She went without.
These are just a few examples of how Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s decision to deny medical treatment to failed refugee claimants and those arriving from countries considered safe — unless their condition is deemed a public threat — is playing out a year later, according to the Toronto-based Wellesley Institute. People are suffering. It’s as simple as that.
As the Star’s Nicholas Keung reports, the Wellesley Institute examined the impact of the cuts in a 19-page report this past week. It shows three trends, all anticipated by critics of the federal cutbacks well before they took effect.
People with serious problems are being charged thousands of dollars for treatment. If they can’t pay, they’re told to go away. And those who might qualify for some coverage are needlessly denied because health officials are confused about the new rules.
It’s a shameful way for Canada, a nation of immigrants, to treat those who seek refuge on our shores.
The Wellesley Institute study provides ample confirmation that Ottawa’s policies are harming women and children. It’s hard to believe that this will resonate with anyone but the most right wing of government supporters. Most Canadians aren’t that heartless. And Immigration Minister Chris Alexander’s office did him no great service this week by sneering that the taxpayer shouldn’t have to shell out for “gold-plated health-care coverage” for such people. An X-ray for a kid with pneumonia? Gold-plated? That’s harsh.
The provinces are now forced to shoulder the costs for people in limbo, which Ontario and Quebec peg at $25 million. They should get that money back. Quebec and Manitoba, to their credit, have tried to fill the gap by promising medical care for all. Ontario’s Health Minister Deb Matthews has sent additional money into community health centres to help these people, believing that Canada was “built on values of inclusion and mutual support.” That’s a generous view. Not so long ago, the government of Canada would have agreed.