Questions about the stockpile’s state of readiness for the COVID-19 pandemic have been mounting for more than a month. On April 1, Health Minister Patty Hajdu told reporters that the government “likely did not have enough” equipment and that public-health preparedness had been underfunded for decades.
The stockpile’s budget is not available in public documents and PHAC officials, speaking at a House of Commons committee on Wednesday, couldn’t answer NDP MP Don Davies’s question about it.
The specific budget for the stockpile is not publicly available and Ms. Thornton was not able to provide the information when asked by NDP MP Don Davies. However, the funding envelope for the agency’s program that is responsible for managing the NESS has changed dramatically over the past decade of Conservative and Liberal governments, to $71.8-million in 2014 from $19.8 million in 2012.
“I have written a joint letter with Jagmeet Singh, Don Davies & Jenny Kwan urging the federal government to immediately inject an emergency funding to sustain this important public transit system so that TransLink can continue to provide daily service to over 75,000 essential workers who rely on the transit systems to get to work,” wrote Julian on Facebook.
Don Davies, the NDP MP for Vancouver-Kingsway, made similar points in a recent Facebook Live town hall. “I think we have to pay particular attention to the Downtown Eastside and vulnerable populations, like people that are living on the street who find it very difficult to self-isolate, and find it very difficult to keep social distancing,” Davies said. “So I think we have to put more resources and we have to try extra hard in order to assist those populations.”
NDP health critic Don Davies said that public health experts have told MPs that the country needs “national, coordinated and standardized information gathering and dissemination.”
“They highlighted the importance of having real-time epidemiological data on the spread of COVID-19. When we have inconsistent information and advice, Canadians get mixed messages and our ability to respond most effectively is hampered.”
NDP health critic Don Davies said he's troubled by the projections outlined today, especially in light of evidence heard by the House of Commons health committee earlier this week.
The heads of organizations representing Canada's doctors and nurses told MPs there is a critical lack of personal protective equipment for front line workers, and called the situation "outrageous and unacceptable."
They warned that lives are at stake and asked for more transparency and urgent federal action to keep health professionals safe.
"There is insufficient national coordination and inconsistent and incomplete data. We are behind in testing, contact tracing and isolating," Davies said.
"The shortage of PPE increases risk not only for health care workers but for those working with the public generally. Our border controls still are not as vigorous as they could be."
Linda Silas, president of the Federation of Nurses Unions, said health workers are often taught to put patients first. But in a situation where workers' lives and their family's lives are at risk, their safety must be put on equal footing.
NDP health critic Don Davies referenced a memo from a Hamilton, Ont., hospital that suggested workers should continue to use the same mask until they were "grossly soiled," as a means of rationing supply.
"Sick, sick, sick," Silas responded.
That's leading to a lot of anxiety for physicians and other medical staff about what will happen if they run out of masks and protective clothing and start to get sick, Buchman said.
The federal NDP is calling for the immediate release of those models. “We can’t fight this virus blindly,” B.C. MP Don Davies said.
VANCOUVER – Today, NDP Health Critic Don Davies called on the federal government to release its modelling and projections of COVID-19 transmission in Canada.
Mental health is underfunded at the best of times.
With COVID-19, Canadians will experience added health concerns, job loss, financial problems, social isolation and more that will increase mental health challenges.
I am calling for more resources and funding to address this.