Positive Health Solutions Found in Vancouver

Provincial and territorial governments have adopted a number of positive solutions to improve medicare, said Premier John Hamm.

The two-day working meeting on health care wrapped up today in Vancouver.

"Provinces and territories have always been, and will continue to be, a strong voice for Ottawa to become a real funding partner in health care," said the premier. "However, this week's meeting showed that we can be just as strong a voice for co-operation and positive change."

Provincial and territorial governments adopted a number of proposals advanced by Nova Scotia, including:

• a national system of reviewing new drugs, building on the new Atlantic process led by Nova Scotia; and
• a pan-Canadian database of health-care practitioners.

"We have worked very hard with other jurisdictions to see where we could work more closely together," said the premier. "I am pleased we have produced some positive prescriptions for change and that Nova Scotia was able to play such a key part."

Health Minister Jamie Muir said the implementation of the proposals will give provinces like Nova Scotia better information to make health-care decisions, help control growing costs and increase the number of health-care professionals.

"By implementing these proposals, we will continue to build a system in Nova Scotia that puts the health needs of patients first," said the minister. "However, Ottawa must stop abdicating its financial responsibility to support medicare in this country."

During the meeting, the premier and minister were able to highlight several ground-breaking initiatives the province has launched, such as:

• enshrining the role of nurse practitioners in law, making Nova Scotia only the second province to do so;
• being one of the country's leaders in alternate payment plans for physicians -- a well-known method to control salary costs;
• proceeding with the country's first provincial information management system for health-care data; and
• providing health care through community-based district health authorities -- a recommendation of many other provincial commissions on health reform.

Premier Hamm said he is looking forward to a progress report on the Vancouver agreement when he assumes the chair of the premiers and territories in August 2002. Halifax will host the 43rd annual premiers' conference.