Along with officials including John Tory and Bill Blair, federal health minister Ginette Petipas Taylor announced a $34 million contribution to an addiction treatment program in British Columbia. She also committed to working with Ontario’s health minister to keep supervised drug-use sites open in the province, encouraging Christine Elliott to halt its freeze on the program. It is unknown whether she was extended an invitation, however, it is inconceivable that a symposium of this importance would refuse the participation of the ministry responsible for provincial health care administration. Her remarks included the insinuation that a system transformation was needed to improve the health care system, and that it would be up to hospitals to find efficiencies. In a climate of fiscal austerity, it is likely that cost reduction will be downloaded to individual health care institutions, who may suffer financial penalties if they don’t get their acts together.

Source: thestar September 12, 2018 18:39 UTC