Statement - And then there were two: NDP and Green Party leading the way toward a national seniors strategy

OTTAWA, Sept. 13, 2015 /CNW/ - On behalf of Canada's physicians, we applaud the commitment made today by NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair to provide new federal funding for seniors care, specifically $1.8 billion over four years to the continuing care sector.

The NDP's promise to deliver much-needed new funding to support the delivery of long-term care, home care, and palliative care is welcome news to the many Canadian seniors and their families who today are grappling with the shortages of our over-loaded health systems.

As CMA continues to highlight, the shortages across our health care system are as startling as they are pervasive. In 2012, for instance, 461,000 Canadians were not getting the home care they thought they needed, wait times for a bed in a long-term care facility ranged from 27 to over 230 days, and as few as 16% of Canadian requiring palliative care actually received it.

Having passed the halfway point in this election campaign, it is encouraging that our political leaders are now turning their attention to the health of Canadians and the health of our cherished health care system.

The CMA welcomes the fact that each party has made some commitment to health-related issues so far this campaign. The Green Party was the first federal political party to commit to a national seniors strategy in the party's platform released last week.

The NDP's announcement today is an important step forward and demonstrates their serious commitment to addressing the challenges faced by too many elderly Canadians, and their families. We now need the rest of our political leaders to step up and become part of the solution on the health care issue of our time.

As we committed at the outset of this campaign, the CMA is reporting all health and seniors election commitments made by political parties to our close to 24,000 public supporters on DemandAPlan.ca.

• Dr. Cindy Forbes, President, Canadian Medical Association
• Dr. Chris Simpson, Past President, Canadian Medical Association

The Canadian Medical Association (CMA) is the national voice of Canadian physicians. Founded in 1867, the CMA is a voluntary professional organization representing more than 80,000 of Canada's physicians and comprising 12 provincial and territorial medical associations and 60 national medical organizations. CMA's mission is helping physicians care for patients. The CMA will be the leader in engaging and serving physicians and be the national voice for the highest standards for health and health care. 

SOURCE Canadian Medical Association

[email protected], Telephone : [phone] ext. 2005; mobile: [phone]