The four MDs appointed to the forum by Prime Minister Jean Chrétien -- Dr. Nuala Kenny, Halifax; Dr. Mamoru Watanabe, Calgary; Dr. Tom Noseworthy, Edmonton, and Dr. Richard Lessard, Montreal -- reviewed the forum's efforts to examine the health care system and fielded questions. It was first time in the forum's 16-month existence that the two groups have met.
"This meeting was overdue," said Dr. Noseworthy. "There is no doubt that we have common interests and I hope for a free and open exchange of information."
The forum is currently wrapping up its cross-Canada public consultations, and is holding a stakeholders' conference in Toronto Apr. 19 and 20 to gather opinions from health care organizations. The 24-member forum has been divided into working groups to study issues such as the values held by Canadians concerning health care, evidence-based decision making and the determinants of health.
"We are trying to find out if we can do something about the gap in life expectancy between rich and poor," Dr. Lessard, Montreal's medical officer of health, said of his group's work on the determinants of health. He added that the issues range from nutrition to government policy on cigarette taxes.
"A ministry of health is more like the ministry of consequences," said Dr. Lessard. "When something goes wrong somewhere else, we end up dealing with it."
Board members advised their forum colleagues to examine all options for health care system reform, including reducing the amount of government involvement.
"You get the feeling now that there are more bureaucrats treating the sick than doctors," commented past president Dr. Bruno L'Heureux.
CMA News: April 1996