To the editor:
I am pleased to announce a large number of national health organizations are now on board with the NDP’s push for a national palliative care strategy.
I am proud to lead this fight for a national strategy on improving access to palliative and hospice care with my parliamentary Motion 456.
I have tabled this motion because there is a clear and defined need for quality palliative care across Canada. The federal government must assume its leadership role in working with the provinces and the territories on improving health-care services.
To my dismay, and to that of many Canadians I have seen and heard, this is just not what is happening. That is why I am working closely with the medical and social organizations that are on the front lines of this important issue.
The following are a few of the organizations that have signed on to support the motion: Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association, Centre for Education and Research on Aging and Health (CERAH), College of Family Physicians of Canada, Canadian Pharmacist Association, and Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists.
The support of these organizations shows the degree to which we need change on this file now. Too many Canadians are not receiving the end-of-life care they need and deserve and caregivers are not receiving the support they need.
The NDP is proud to bring this issue to the House of Commons in order to have a national strategy in place to assure quality, community and family-based care for our loved ones. Moreover, I am pleased to see MPs of all stripes are also showing their support for this motion.
The debate will be an important milestone for this Parliament. I invite you to continue the dialog and show your support to make sure health care is there when you need it the most by signing my petition at http://petition.ndp.ca/make-sure-health-care-is-there.
Charlie Angus, MP
Timmins-James Bay
