Doctors ready to put health care front and cente in election

Mill River - Health care will definitely have a forum during Week 2 of the federal election campaign, vows Canadian Medical Association president, Dr. Robert Ouellet.

As early as today, Ouellet said, there will be a concerted effort to get the federal parties talking about Canada's health care needs.

"We will not let that go. That's for sure," Ouellet said in a weekend interview, while he attended the annual meeting of the Medical Society of P.E.I.

The CMA will be directing questions about health care to the federal parties. Although he wouldn't specify the questions two topics will come to the fore: universal drug coverage and the need for more doctors.

The CMA president believes with the support of the federal government, the pharmacare program that has been in Quebec for the past decade could be extended to the rest of the country.

"It is there and it is working, so, why not?" Ouellet insisted.

"If we have that kind of system, we're protected," he said. "It's not the first dollar coverage - there's a deductible each year and a co-payment."

Quebec residents must carry insurance, available through government or private plans. Premiums are based, in part, on income levels, and government picks up the tab for people with low incomes.

Ouellet said the program has merit nationally, with federal and provincial governments both contributing, and the individual also paying part of the cost.

"No system is perfect," Ouellet said, "but at least it gives universal coverage for pharmacare."

"We don't accept for medicare that if you don't have money, you can't have service," Ouellet argued. He believes all Canadians, regardless of income, should have access to the medicines needed to treat their health care problems.

Solving the doctor shortage and eliminating wait times are priorities for the CMA, Ouellet acknowledged.

The CMA, Ouellet reported, has a national "More Doctors - More Care" campaign which includes short-term and long-term goals.

"There is a shortage of doctors. It is not only in P.E.I.; it's nationwide. We need to fix that," he said.

The use of incentives to repatriate Canadian doctors who went elsewhere to practise, opening up more seats in medical schools and encouraging more doctors to serve as preceptors for doctors coming to Canada from other countries all need to be part of the strategy, Ouellet suggested.