Health Care to be Number One Issue at Meeting

Improving health care will be Nova Scotia's number one priority at the Council of Maritime Premiers meeting on Friday, Jan. 21, said Premier John Hamm.

The premier leaves today for Charlottetown and will meet with host Premier Pat Binns of Prince Edward Island and Premier Bernard Lord of New Brunswick tonight and tomorrow.

"Nova Scotians share the concern of their neighbours throughout the Maritimes about continuing to have a health care system they can depend on," said Premier Hamm, whose government has highlighted the importance of this issue at numerous federal- provincial-territorial meetings over the past five months. "We must continue to urge the federal government to fully restore the Canada Health and Social Transfer to 1994-95 levels."

The premier said that an equally important element of the health care discussions on Friday will be to explore joint opportunities in several sectors. This will further discussions held by the Maritime premiers at their October meeting in Stellarton and by Maritime health ministers earlier this month. Potential areas of health care co-operation include prescription drugs, training, health information and organ donation.

"Getting a fair share of funding from Ottawa is one essential tool to address the problems in health care," said Premier Hamm. "Another is finding new ways of doing things at the administrative level which will result in better health care for Nova Scotians, and all Maritimers, at the service delivery level."

The premier will also pursue a number of regional economic issues, including access to federal strategic investments, planning future trade initiatives, increasing investments in research and development and the impact of corporate mergers and acquisitions on Atlantic Canada.