Over 300 participants to discuss future of public health care

OTTAWA, ONTARIO – The outcome of the First Ministers’ Meeting promises to be a hot topic at the National Health Care conference, which will take place tomorrow until Sunday at the Ottawa Congress Centre. Organised by the Council of Canadians, CUPE, the Canadian Health Coalition, the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, and other organisations, the conference will gather over 300 participants to discuss the current state of the health care system. They will also devise a strategy towards ensuring that the health care system of the future will be publicly funded and publicly delivered.

“The politicians have spoken loud and clear: they are simply not interested in protecting and expanding the public health care system” says Maude Barlow, National Chairperson of the Council of Canadians. “It is now up to the citizens to do what they did 40 years ago: send a strong message to their representatives about what kind of health care they want for their future and that of their children.”

Friday’s Forum will feature interventions by Tony Clarke (Polaris Institute), Dr. David Himmelstein (Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School), Dr. P.J. Devereaux (Fellow, Canadian Institute of Health Research), Dr. Joseph Mikhail (President, Professional Association of Residents and Interns of Ontario), Kathleen Coonors (President, Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions) and Maude Barlow, National Chairperson of the Council of Canadians.

The evening session, titled “A Citizens’ Celebration” will be hosted by Greg Malone, of CODCO fame and will feature comedians, singers and speakers including Shirley Douglas (Spokesperson, Canadian Health Coalition), Judy Darcy (National President, Canadian Union of Public Employees), Marie Pelchat (Coalition Solidarité-Santé du Québec) and Ralph Nader, well-known consumer advocate and former U.S. presidential candidate (by audio link).

A full schedule of events can be found at the bottom of this release.

Media representatives are welcome to attend all events on Friday as well as the plenary sessions that will take place on Saturday and Sunday.

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