The coalition, made up of health and migrant rights organizations across the country, states that this is both a matter of justice and equity, as well as public health. With the support of over 200 civil society organizations nationwide, the coalition sent an open letter to the government to demand access to health care for everyone living in Canada, including detained persons, regardless of their immigration and citizenship status.
Carole Benedicte Ze, an asylum seeker from Cameroon who was initially denied screening after contracting COVID-19 while volunteering at a Montreal long-term care facility (CHSLD), states, “It was difficult for me to access screening, so imagine how much worse it is for people without status. No one should be denied health care when they are sick, regardless of their status. We all need care.”
The coalition is calling on the federal government to work together with provincial and territorial governments to ensure health care coverage for all, regardless of migration status, and to adopt a clear plan for implementing this new policy in all hospitals and clinics. Additionally, the coalition wishes to remind these institutions of their legal obligation to protect the confidentiality and privacy of their patients and not to share information with the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). Finally, the coalition is demanding that a clear message be sent to the CBSA and the public stating that no one should be detained or deported while seeking or after having received health care.
Access to health care is a major determinant of health, even outside the context of a pandemic. Therefore, the coalition is calling on the federal government, in collaboration with provincial and territorial governments, to ensure the sustainability of all these measures.
“The global pandemic has shown us that, now more than ever, we must ensure equitable access to health care for all. And we must always strive to provide access to care for everyone living in Canada,” says Dr. Sandy Buchman, President of the Canadian Medical Association.
The letter, signed by over 200 organizations, was sent to the federal government, copied to all provincial and territorial governments. The coalition is awaiting a response.
Media contacts
In French:
Mélissa Cabana
Senior Communications Advisor
Doctors of the World Canada
melissa.cabana@old.medecinsdumonde.ca
514-799-8985
In English:
Dr. Nisha Kansal
nisha.kansal@medportal.ca
905-963-1304
Dr. Arnav Agarwal
arnav.agarwal@mail.utoronto.ca
647-542-9159
For general inquiries: healthcare4allcoalition@gmail.com