Liberal quick access to quality health care bill is crucial

Winnipeg – Manitoba Liberal Leader Dr.Jon Gerrard today highlighted the importance of improving patients’ rights and pointed to Liberal Bill 220-The Right to Timely Access to Health Care act as being a crucial step in improving the overall health care system in Manitoba.

According to the Euro-Canada Consumer Index Report, released today by the Frontier Centre for Public Policy, Canada ranked 23rd when compared with 29 European countries in effectively meeting the health care needs of its citizens.

“The Euro-Canada Health Consumer Index Report stresses the importance of improving patients’ rights and this has always been a top priority for Manitoba Liberals,” Dr.Gerrard said. “As the voice of health care in this province, it is the goal of the Manitoba Liberals to ensure that all Manitobans receive the best care possible when they need it.”

The report emphasized that ‘to date there is no province with a clearly enshrined right to timely and effective treatment that provides practical remedies, without which patient guarantees are meaningless.  In this regard Canada falls well behind the great majority of European countries in the index.’

“This report clearly indicates the importance of Bill 220 and I hope that the NDP will recognize the necessity of giving Manitobans a legal right to timely access to quality care, and that they will join Manitoba Liberals and support our bill,” Dr.Gerrard said.

Bill 220 also gives patients the right to access information about their treatment, being made aware of all available treatment options and to access information on the qualifications of their attending health care practitioners.

Bill 220 reached first reading on December 4, 2007 and will be debated at second reading when the Manitoba Legislature reconvenes in the spring.

“While the comparison between Canada and Europe goes much deeper than just patients’ rights, improving patients’ rights in Manitoba and Canada is clearly a very important step we need to take to improve our health care system,” Dr.Gerrard said.

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