At the same time, the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) is warning that our health care infrastructure is “crumbling” across the country. They highlight that nearly half of these facilities were constructed more than 50 years ago. Older infrastructures continue to service Canadians every day, but today they require investment and care. According to CMA President, Dr. Margot Burnell, the time for reform and investment in innovative, modern, health care approaches has come. Canada’s overall health spending is projected to reach $372 billion in 2024. Health care experts stress the importance of directing this funding to transform the health care delivery system so that it promotes health, equity and economic prosperity.
Canada’s health care facilities are tied with the national transit system as the oldest public infrastructure currently in use according to Parliament’s own report. Our most marginalized communities are home to many hospitals and clinics in desperate need of modernization and infrastructure fixes. For one, there is a tremendous backlog requiring infrastructure funding to construct new health facilities and renovate what we already possess. The recent announcements by the Biden administration regarding such funding are considered by advocates to be a crucial first step in addressing these longstanding issues.
Dr. Burnell continues to reinforce that investments in health care are central to the health and security of all Canadians. Further, he believes it is hugely important to ensuring the nation’s economic future. Her heart is set on using the enormous amount of money we spend on health care to drive the creation of new technologies and scientific breakthroughs. In so doing, Canada can increase access to care, while making its health care system more productive.
One promising area for improvement comes from more effective collection and sharing of health data. Our experts believe that by refining these processes we can achieve better health care results without significant costs in the long run. Furthermore, enabling physicians to practice across provincial and territorial borders could significantly increase access to care, addressing shortages in certain regions.
Accountability measures at the provincial and territorial levels are just as important to ensuring effective federal health transfers. Dr. Burnell is a strong advocate for the need for cooperation among all levels of government. By working together and pursuing real, tangible steps, they’re able to make real differences in the health care system.
As Canada worked its way through these challenges, the need for greater and more robust investment in health care was a mantra repeated often from Canadians’ stakeholders. The infrastructure funding recently announced is definitely a step in the right direction. As speakers reiterated, it will take sustained dedication to transform Canada’s outdated health care infrastructure into state-of-the-art facilities that will improve patient care.
