Canadian nursing leaders say they sent a message to prime ministers during their meeting this week that patients and nurses are experiencing a “serious staffing crisis” that threatens the sustainability of public health care.
A statement from Linda Silas, president of the Canadian Federation of Nurses, says the system is “on the brink of disaster” and nursing leaders shared proposed solutions today as premiers begin their Federation Council meeting.
Silas says nurses have been “fighting against extreme staffing shortages, forced overtime and canceled holidays, with no end in sight” under unsustainable conditions.
The federation says its proposals focus on retaining nurses, encouraging them to return to the profession and the public health care system, and new measures to recruit and train the next generation.
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Silas says provincial commitments to strengthen health care are welcome, but “no province or territory can solve this on its own” and federal funding will be key.
BC Premier John Horgan, host and chair of the Federation Council, has said health financing will be high on the agenda, specifically Ottawa increasing its share of spending from 22 percent to 35 percent to help to improve the system.
The prime ministers are meeting for the first time with the leaders of the National Indigenous Organizations, and a statement from the Songhees Nation, which is co-hosting the event, says the discussions will concern the well-being of indigenous families and youth, and the environment. ambient.
Meanwhile, Alberta Premier Jason Kenney says he will sound the alarm about the federal government’s emissions reduction plan during the meeting.
He says the reduction plan is “pie in the sky,” calling it a “ridiculous” goal without a proper plan for implementation.
Kenney, who made the remarks at the annual Calgary Stampede breakfast on Monday, said the plan’s implications would be devastating for Alberta just when the world needs energy the most.
The federal plan released earlier this year aims to limit emissions from the oil and gas sector to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 and reduce oil and gas methane emissions by at least 75 percent by 2030.
— With Colette Derworiz Archives in Calgary
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