OTTAWA -- Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos says the provinces鈥� focus on dollar amounts and health transfer percentages is 鈥渁 futile fight,鈥� and Canada鈥檚 premiers should instead focus on achieving results, such as recruiting and retaining healthcare professionals, and getting care to people.
鈥淚f dollars were the solution to the problem, the problem would be solved quickly because provinces and territories on average are already running surpluses,鈥� Duclos told Joyce Napier on CTV鈥檚 Question Period, in an interview airing Sunday.
The first in-person meetings in four years between Duclos and provincial health ministers this week ended in a stalemate, with the latter saying 鈥� before the talks wrapped 鈥� that 鈥渘o progress鈥� had been made.
Canada鈥檚 premiers have been calling for the federal government to increase healthcare transfers 鈥� the long term, predictable funding the federal government gives to the provinces and territories, called the Canada Health Transfer 鈥� from 22 per cent to 35 per cent.
The federal government, for its part, has agreed to send more money to the provinces and territories, but under certain conditions, namely expanding the 鈥渦se of common key health indicators,鈥� and building 鈥渁 world-class health data system,鈥� according to a statement from Duclos鈥� office.
Duclos said the focus on percentages does not help health ministers, who he claims were given 鈥渕arching orders鈥� by their premiers not to work with him short of signing a deal to increase the Canada Health Transfer.
鈥淢y job is not to send dollars to finance ministers,鈥� he said. 鈥淢y job is to make sure that whatever we do helps my colleagues, health ministers, do the difficult and important work that they want to do and want to keep doing.鈥�
Duclos insisted he and his provincial and territorial counterparts work well together, but he blames premiers for quashing any hopes of progress fixing Canada鈥檚 broken healthcare system.
鈥淧remiers want us to insist only on dollars, which you know, is not the solution,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e need to agree on ends before we come to the means to achieve those ends.鈥�
Meanwhile B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix, who hosted this week鈥檚 meetings in Vancouver, said the premiers have been asking to meet and discuss the Canada Health Transfer with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for more than a year, and that Duclos didn鈥檛 come to the meeting with any details on that front.
鈥淚 would sit down at noon on Boxing Day. I'll serve turkey to federal officials if they come out and have a serious meeting on the Canada Health Transfer,鈥� Dix said in an interview on CTV鈥檚 Question Period.
Dix added it鈥檚 鈥減reposterous鈥� for the federal government to claim the sticking point is only about dollar amounts, when provinces need more money to hire healthcare staff and address gaps in other areas, such as mental health and addictions, and the system was built on the federal government covering more of the cost than it currently does.
鈥淭he federal government, unfortunately, in this case, I don't think has taken this matter seriously,鈥� he also said. 鈥淲e've been asking for a meeting for a year and haven't got one.鈥�
It wasn鈥檛 just the health ministers who said they were disappointed with the meeting鈥檚 outcome.
Canadian Medical Association (CMA) past president Dr. Katharine Smart told CTV鈥檚 Question Period that Canadians want to see accountability from officials and proof of a return on investment when it comes to healthcare spending.
鈥淚 think what we were hoping for was to see cooperation and collaboration between levels of government towards solutions in what is our failing healthcare system,鈥� she said. 鈥淎nd I think, unfortunately, that we fall very short of that mark.鈥�
Smart added the CMA has proposed several changes to the system that haven鈥檛 been implemented, and that there鈥檚 concern about pouring more money into 鈥渟omething that鈥檚 broken,鈥� without working to 鈥渢ransform and modernize our healthcare system.鈥�
鈥淲hat that's led to here is an impasse,鈥� Smart said. 鈥淏ut what that means for Canadians is ongoing lack of access to timely care, and it's highly concerning.鈥�
鈥淚 think we need a fundamental shift in the way we deliver healthcare,鈥� she added.
