Nurses and members of the Council of Canadians held rallies across the country on Monday as part of a “National Day of Action to Sound the Alarm for Health Care”. Today is the last day of the National Health Accord, which the federal government’s refusing to renegotiate.
A group of about 25 demonstrators gathered at the corner of Commercial and Terminal Street in Nanaimo for a protest. Brenda Hill is a registered nurse. Hill says without the Health Accord, Canadian patients are in trouble.
Hill says they estimate the Health Care system will have $36 billion less to work with over the next ten years, including $5 billion less in BC. Hill says they’re urging the federal government to renegotiate a new Canada Health Accord. There are more details online.
Meanwhile, BC’s Health Minister says the end of the Canada Health Accord will hurt the bottom line but will not mean a cut in services. Terry Lake says BC will take a hit but has already budgeted ahead.
