Last June the federal government cut funding to the Interim Federal Health Program leaving refugees without dental, drug or vision care coverage. The cuts hit pregnant woman and infants hardest by leaving them exposed to health risks during pregnancy and birth, according to the Canadian Doctors for Refugee Care, which organized the protest.
The Toronto demonstration was one of 17 protests held across the country from St. John’s, Nfld. to Victoria, B.C.
“Today we join with thousands of loyal and caring citizens across Canada to call on the government to reverse the cuts and restore health care to refugees,” said Dr. Philip Berger, chief of family and community medicine at Toronto’s St. Michael’s Hospital. “Refugees who are lawfully within our borders, doing what they are supposed to be doing, following the rules ... have had their health care yanked.”
According to the government, the changes were made to stem abuse of the system and to save an estimated $100 million by 2017. At the time, Jason Kenney, Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism, said the government did not want Canadians to be obligated to pay for benefits for refugee claimants that “are more generous than what they are entitled to themselves.”
Protesters claim the cuts deny refugees access to potentially life- saving medical treatment and therefore are an infringement of basic human rights.
“I am ashamed that our government has chosen to kick people when they are down, to deny the weakest among us the basic human right of health care and even more ashamed that it is being sold under the pretence of making our system more fair,” said Dr. Tatiana Freire-Lizama, perinatologist at St. Michael’s Hospital and a former child-refugee. “At this terrible time in their lives look at how we are treating them. They have difficulties accessing medication (and) some are denied primary health care.”
Freire-Lizama said the cuts cost the health-care system by causing expenses to trickle down to individual hospitals and doctors who ethically cannot turn away the sick.
Organizers circulated a list of 33 cases from the past 12 months where refugees have been denied health care. Despite the evidence, Berger said government continues to dodge conversations on this issue.
“It is time for the Minister to meet with the eight national health associations who three times have requested a meeting,” he said. “His staff says he cannot fit a meeting into his schedule. Meanwhile the Minister continues to respond with attacks on the character, motives and competence of hard working health care workers.” Similar demonstrations were to be held throughout the week, with a second Toronto event planned for June 20, World Refugee Day.
“A nation’s greatness is measured by how it treats its weakest members,” said Freire- Lizama. “Refugees may not have a voice, but we do. So together let’s call on Ottawa to restore full health care for refugees.”