July 10, 2024 by Tracy Glynn
Private health care providers are blurring the lines when it comes to the outsourcing and payment of health care, to the detriment of patients and health care workers, say researchers studying health care privatization in Canada.
Researchers from across Canada gathered at the University of Ottawa on June 20 to discuss their insights on the Canada Health Act. The research roundtable was organized by the Canadian Health Coalition and the University of Ottawa’s Centre for Health Law, Policy and Ethics with support from St. Thomas University.
The panel, “Creeping Privatization of Health Care,” is now available for viewing here:
Long-time researcher Kevin Skerrett, with the Ottawa Health Coalition and Ontario Health Coalition, moderated the panel on privatization. He highlighted recent disturbing developments at an Ottawa hospital as an example of privatization. A group of doctors at the Riverside campus of The Ottawa Hospital formed a private, for-profit company, Academic Orthopedic Surgical Associates of Ottawa Inc., and have been allowed to perform surgeries within the hospital.
“We have a group of surgeons working for our public hospital that have privatized themselves and contracted with the CEO of the Ottawa Hospital to perform surgeries,” said Skerrett.
The Ontario government has defended the practice as solving the surgical backlog problem while others want the problem solved through investments in the public health care system.
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