The P.E.I. government’s decision to invest $25 million into for-profit long-term care facilities is raising concerns about the further privatization of the health-care system.
Currently, there is a mix of private and public long-term care facilities on P.E.I. The province said it needed to add 54 new long-term care beds as soon as possible, and the private sector could get the job done faster.
Pat Armstrong, a member of the Canadian Health Coalition who has written cautionary books on the privatization of health care, said the province should have invested in the public beds rather than turning to the private sector.
“Their objective is to make a profit and the money going to profit is not going to care,” Armstrong said.
Three years ago, an internal government report on long-term care found private homes paid workers less and provided fewer care options than public manors.
P.E.I. NDP leader calls for transparency in long-term care funding
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Michelle Neill, leader of the P.E.I. New Democratic Party, says the recent funding for long-term care beds is good, but could be better. She’s pushing for more financial transparency from both private providers of long-term care in P.E.I. and from the government itself.
The same report said P.E.I. needed hundreds more long-term care beds.
Other examples of the privatization of health care include:
The Maple app, owned in part by Loblaws and Shoppers Drug Mart.
Private agency nurses.
There’s a proposal in the works for a private clinic to address chronic delays with cataract surgery in P.E.I.
NDP Leader Michelle Neill is also raising concerns about the increasing reliance on private, for-profit health care in P.E.I.
“We want to make sure that any kind of expansion goes through the public health-care system and the public long-term care system,” she said. “That way there’s full accountability for all of those funds.”
Pat Armstrong, who has written cautionary books on the privatization of health care, will be speaking at a lecture on April 23 titled Profiting from Care; What’s the Problem. (CBC/Zoom)
In a statement, Health P.E.I. said it’s doing what it can to deal with staff shortages, and that “it is crucial to maintain publicly funded services that are high quality, accessible, and provide value for money.”
But the statement didn’t say if it matters whether that public funding goes to a public or private facility.
Armstrong said it does matter.
“If [private care homes] are no longer making a profit, then it makes sense for them to close down, especially if … they are on valuable property that would be attractive to other investors.”
Armstrong will be speaking at a lecture April 23 at Colonel Gray High School in Charlottetown titled Profiting from Care; What’s the Problem. It is hosted by the P.E.I. Health Coalition.
TORONTO – Canada’s main stock index was up more than 100 points in late-morning trading, helped by strength in base metal and utility stocks, while U.S. stock markets were mixed.
The S&P/TSX composite index was up 103.40 points at 24,542.48.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 192.31 points at 42,932.73. The S&P 500 index was up 7.14 points at 5,822.40, while the Nasdaq composite was down 9.03 points at 18,306.56.
The Canadian dollar traded for 72.61 cents US compared with 72.44 cents US on Tuesday.
The November crude oil contract was down 71 cents at US$69.87 per barrel and the November natural gas contract was down eight cents at US$2.42 per mmBTU.
The December gold contract was up US$7.20 at US$2,686.10 an ounce and the December copper contract was up a penny at US$4.35 a pound.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 16, 2024.
TORONTO – Canada’s main stock index was up more than 200 points in late-morning trading, while U.S. stock markets were also headed higher.
The S&P/TSX composite index was up 205.86 points at 24,508.12.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 336.62 points at 42,790.74. The S&P 500 index was up 34.19 points at 5,814.24, while the Nasdaq composite was up 60.27 points at 18.342.32.
The Canadian dollar traded for 72.61 cents US compared with 72.71 cents US on Thursday.
The November crude oil contract was down 15 cents at US$75.70 per barrel and the November natural gas contract was down two cents at US$2.65 per mmBTU.
The December gold contract was down US$29.60 at US$2,668.90 an ounce and the December copper contract was up four cents at US$4.47 a pound.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 11, 2024.
TORONTO – Canada’s main stock index was little changed in late-morning trading as the financial sector fell, but energy and base metal stocks moved higher.
The S&P/TSX composite index was up 0.05 of a point at 24,224.95.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was down 94.31 points at 42,417.69. The S&P 500 index was down 10.91 points at 5,781.13, while the Nasdaq composite was down 29.59 points at 18,262.03.
The Canadian dollar traded for 72.71 cents US compared with 73.05 cents US on Wednesday.
The November crude oil contract was up US$1.69 at US$74.93 per barrel and the November natural gas contract was up a penny at US$2.67 per mmBTU.
The December gold contract was up US$14.70 at US$2,640.70 an ounce and the December copper contract was up two cents at US$4.42 a pound.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 10, 2024.
