Roundtable June 27: Health workers for Refugee Healthcare

[Ardiles, Paola]

Please distribute to your networks.
Paola
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Roundtable: Health workers for Refugee Healthcare

Where: YWCA, 733 Beatty street, right next to Stadium Skytrain Station.
(Note: there are several Y's, please make note of the address).
When: 6.30PM, Wed, June 27

FB: https://www.facebook.com/events/291338344296097/

As of June 30, 2012, refugees in Canada who are in need of medical
assistance, including children, the elderly, and pregnant women, will no
longer be able to access critical health care services. Among the services
to be cut for some or all refugees are: prenatal care for... pregnant
women; access to mental health care; coverage for necessary medications,
including insulin. Unless their condition is deemed a threat to public
health or safety, some refugee claimants will also be denied access to
physicians -- even if they are suffering from illnesses like cancer or
cardiovascular diseases, even if they are having heart attacks.

Health workers have warned that people will die because of these cuts. On
May 11, doctors staged a protest on Parliament Hill, while another group
of 90 physicians occupied Minister Joe Oliver's office in Toronto. On June
18, in a coordinated "National Day of Action," health workers in
Vancouver, Calgary, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Toronto, Hamilton, Ottawa,
Montreal and St. John's will be staging events across the country. The
cuts have also been condemned at the institutional level, with numerous
national health organizations issuing statements: the College of Family
Physicians of Canada, Canadian Association of Optometrists, Canadian
Association of Social Workers, Canadian Dental Association, Canadian
Medical Association, Canadian Nurses Association, Canadian Association of
Community Health Centres, Canadian Association of Midwives, and Canadian
Doctors for Medicare. For more information:
http://www.doctorsforrefugeecare.ca/index.html

These cuts to health care for refugees come at the same time as the
passing of Bill C-31, the draconian Refugee Exclusion Act that, in
supposed efforts to crack down on human smuggling, mandates the immediate
certain detention of refugee claimants, including minors.

Please join us on Wednesday, June 27 as health workers explain what health
services are being cut, what community and health care resources exist for
people who have limited access to health care, what resources need to be
created, and how we can ensure adequate and accessible health for all.

Speaker list to be announced.

Light refreshments will be provided.
Child-friendly event with childcare on-site.
This venue is wheelchair accessible including washrooms.
This event is free of charge. Donations are welcome to assist with cost of
room rental.

For more information, email noii...@resist.ca or call 604 787 4109.

IN THE NEWS:

June 11: Refugee bill passes final hurdle in House
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2012/06/11/pol-immigration-refugee-bill.html

June 11: Denying health care to refugees: is that really the Canadian way?
http://www.montrealgazette.com/health/Denying+health+care+refugees+that+really+Canadian/6764981/story.html

May 28: Doctors protest cuts to health care for refugees (podcast)
http://rabble.ca/podcasts/shows/redeye/2012/05/doctors-protest-cuts-health-care-refugees

May 23: Refugee health-care cuts threaten everyone's access
http://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorialopinion/article/1183230--refugee-health-care-cuts-threaten-everyone-s-access

May 23: Canadian doctors, nurses join protest against refugee health cuts
http://metronews.ca/news/canada/235426/canadian-doctors-nurses-join-protest-against-refugee-health-cuts/

May 14: Canadian doctors continue to protest refugee health care reform
http://www.globalnews.ca/pages/story.aspx?id=6442640891

May 12: 90 Canadian Physicians protest dangerous cuts to Refugee Health
Care at MP Joe Oliver's office http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiNDtUaNudk