{"id":888352,"date":"2026-01-27T23:26:36","date_gmt":"2026-01-28T05:26:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2026\/01\/27\/we-have-a-constitutional-right-to-free-public-health-care-letters-to-the-editor\/"},"modified":"2026-01-27T23:26:36","modified_gmt":"2026-01-28T05:26:36","slug":"we-have-a-constitutional-right-to-free-public-health-care-letters-to-the-editor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2026\/01\/27\/we-have-a-constitutional-right-to-free-public-health-care-letters-to-the-editor\/","title":{"rendered":"We have a constitutional right to free, public health care | Letters to the Editor"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<div>\n<figure data-aqa=\"featured-image\"><picture><source media=\"(min-width: 1200px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/ottawacitizen\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/sleep.jpg?quality=90&#038;strip=all&#038;w=564&#038;h=423&#038;type=webp&#038;sig=0UKB8w-BI0TdthPVgs0CaA, \nhttps:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/ottawacitizen\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/sleep.jpg?quality=90&#038;strip=all&#038;w=1128&#038;h=846&#038;type=webp&#038;sig=Eo_4cT2Tds1zfxgOF8PLxA 2x\" type=\"image\/webp\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1200px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/ottawacitizen\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/sleep.jpg?quality=90&#038;strip=all&#038;w=564&#038;h=423&#038;type=jpg&#038;sig=l30uRfM1TYHz60Ghxgeoaw, \nhttps:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/ottawacitizen\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/sleep.jpg?quality=90&#038;strip=all&#038;w=1128&#038;h=846&#038;type=jpg&#038;sig=nL7WvbccMrmes8I_mUJySA 2x\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/ottawacitizen\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/sleep.jpg?quality=90&#038;strip=all&#038;w=472&#038;h=354&#038;type=webp&#038;sig=Naw5C9LAL3A_308ecqyCEg, \nhttps:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/ottawacitizen\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/sleep.jpg?quality=90&#038;strip=all&#038;w=944&#038;h=708&#038;type=webp&#038;sig=kA7Z0bDVAclMElAcYNuW4g 2x\" type=\"image\/webp\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/ottawacitizen\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/sleep.jpg?quality=90&#038;strip=all&#038;w=472&#038;h=354&#038;type=jpg&#038;sig=ogwXKP9MMBZCnmdwN_GNBg, \nhttps:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/ottawacitizen\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/sleep.jpg?quality=90&#038;strip=all&#038;w=944&#038;h=708&#038;type=jpg&#038;sig=sBQLH91DSGpOHW9v2FHCHw 2x\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/ottawacitizen\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/sleep.jpg?quality=90&#038;strip=all&#038;w=288&#038;h=216&#038;type=webp&#038;sig=sLApWh2UByG6FFLB3PkkVA, \nhttps:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/ottawacitizen\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/sleep.jpg?quality=90&#038;strip=all&#038;w=576&#038;h=432&#038;type=webp&#038;sig=KkfSIjDx8aHNqcvR5kIYYA 2x\" type=\"image\/webp\"><img alt=\"Doctor checking chart\" src=\"https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/ottawacitizen\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/sleep.jpg?quality=90&#038;strip=all&#038;w=288&#038;h=216&#038;sig=rNHX2puRS3QikKT9EEMuvA\" srcset=\"https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/ottawacitizen\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/sleep.jpg?quality=90&#038;strip=all&#038;w=288&#038;h=216&#038;sig=rNHX2puRS3QikKT9EEMuvA,\n                    https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/ottawacitizen\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/sleep.jpg?quality=90&#038;strip=all&#038;w=576&#038;h=432&#038;sig=lnBDiUQbpZwXz7cAN8927A 2x\" decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\" height=\"750\" width=\"1000\"><\/picture><figcaption><span>Our health system does a decent job with emergencies and acute care. It falls down woefully when it comes to disabilities and chronic, debilitating illnesses that might not actually kill people but will significantly erode their quality of life.<\/span> <span>Photo by MARTIN BARRAUD<\/span> \/<span>GETTY IMAGES<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<section>\n<p>Article content<\/p>\n<p><h3>The Ontario health care system is failing us<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section data-aqa=\"identity-sign-in\" data-async id=\"article-block\">\n<header>\n<div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Ottawa Citizen\" height=\"37\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/dcs-static.gprod.postmedia.digital\/20.4.0\/websites\/images\/identity\/logo-identity-oc-new.svg\" width=\"280\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY<\/p>\n<p>Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Unlimited digital access to the Ottawa Citizen.<\/li>\n<li>Analysis on all things Ottawa by Bruce Deachman, Elizabeth Payne, David Pugliese, and others, award-winning newsletters and virtual events.<\/li>\n<li>Opportunity to engage with our commenting community.<\/li>\n<li>Ottawa Citizen ePaper.<\/li>\n<li>Ottawa Citizen App.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES<\/p>\n<p>Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Exclusive articles from Elizabeth Payne, David Pugliese, Andrew Duffy, Bruce Deachman and others. Plus, food reviews and event listings in the weekly newsletter, Ottawa, Out of Office.<\/li>\n<li>Unlimited online access to Ottawa Citizen and 15 news sites with one account.<\/li>\n<li>Ottawa Citizen ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.<\/li>\n<li>Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.<\/li>\n<li>Support local journalism.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>REGISTER \/ SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES<\/p>\n<p>Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Access articles from across Canada with one account.<\/li>\n<li>Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.<\/li>\n<li>Enjoy additional articles per month.<\/li>\n<li>Get email updates from your favourite authors.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK.<\/p>\n<p>Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Access articles from across Canada with one account<\/li>\n<li>Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments<\/li>\n<li>Enjoy additional articles per month<\/li>\n<li>Get email updates from your favourite authors<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div data-auth-component id=\"auth-screen-form\" aria-live=\"assertive\">\n<h2>Sign In or Create an Account<\/h2>\n<p><span><\/span><span>or<\/span><span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<p>Article content<\/p>\n<p data-async>I will attempt to keep this short and to the point. The Ontario health care system is failing us, and Premier Doug Ford is the person to blame. <a data-evt-val=\"{\"control_fields\": {\"mparticle\": {\"keys\": {\"click_source_type\": \"click_source_type\", \"anchor_text\": \"anchor_text\", \"target_url\": \"target_url\", \"layout_section\": \"layout_section\"}, \"mp_event_type\": \"Navigation\", \"extra_keys\": [\"click_vertical_position_percentage\", \"click_vertical_position_pixels\"]}}, \"click_source_type\": \"in-page link\", \"anchor_text\": \"ER wait times\", \"target_url\": \"https:\/\/ottawacitizen.com\/news\/local-news\/ottawa-patients-continue-to-face-longer-than-average-emergency-waits\", \"layout_section\": \"in-page-link\"}\" data-evt=\"click\" data-evt-typ=\"click\" href=\"https:\/\/ottawacitizen.com\/news\/local-news\/ottawa-patients-continue-to-face-longer-than-average-emergency-waits\">ER wait times<\/a> are out of control, access to medical care is dwindling, and Ford is pushing our health-care system to privatize, rather than our constitutional right to free, public health care.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<p>Article content<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<p>Article content<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<p>Article content<\/p>\n<p>Patients are waiting for hours, sometimes days, if they are waiting for admittance, in ERs. The reasons behind this wait?<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<p>Article content<\/p>\n<p>Overcapacity, both in the ER and in the hospital. Patients only have one place to go outside business hours or if they do not have family doctors. 24-hour urgent cares and pharmacies are nonexistent, increasing the patient population in ERs and limited bed spaces.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<p>Article content<\/p>\n<p>Understaffing. Let us not forget that, in 2023, emergency rooms were closed 1,199 times due to short staffing. Understaffing increases the nurse-to-patient ratio, decreasing the level of care patients receive. The recommended nurse-to-patient ratio is 1:4 or less on a day shift, and 1:6 or less on a night shift. I have been on a unit where the ratio was 1:11. This increases the risk of medical mistakes, increases the risk of burnout, takes away the ability for nurses to take their breaks, which cycles back to mistakes and burnout.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<p>Article content<\/p>\n<p data-async><a data-evt-val=\"{\"control_fields\": {\"mparticle\": {\"keys\": {\"click_source_type\": \"click_source_type\", \"anchor_text\": \"anchor_text\", \"target_url\": \"target_url\", \"layout_section\": \"layout_section\"}, \"mp_event_type\": \"Navigation\", \"extra_keys\": [\"click_vertical_position_percentage\", \"click_vertical_position_pixels\"]}}, \"click_source_type\": \"in-page link\", \"anchor_text\": \"Underfunding\", \"target_url\": \"https:\/\/ottawacitizen.com\/news\/local-news\/hospitals-difficult-decisions-funding\", \"layout_section\": \"in-page-link\"}\" data-evt=\"click\" data-evt-typ=\"click\" href=\"https:\/\/ottawacitizen.com\/news\/local-news\/hospitals-difficult-decisions-funding\">Underfunding<\/a>. The Ford government continues to fail in providing proper funding for health care, resulting in the potential for just over 7,000 nurses to be cut by 2027-28, according to the Ontario Nursing Association. Ford\u2019s plan has been to underfund the public health-care system and instead prioritize privatized health care. Do not get it twisted, this will hurt Ontarians more than help. The Canadian Health Care Policy\u2019s primary objective is,<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<p>Article content<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<p>Article content<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt is hereby declared that the primary objective of Canadian health care policy is to protect, promote and restore the physical and mental well-being of residents of Canada and to facilitate reasonable access to health services without financial or other barriers.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<p>Article content<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<p>Article content<\/p>\n<p data-async>The Ford government is neither protecting, promoting, nor restoring the well-being of the residents. I would argue they are neglecting our well-being. Ask yourself, does Ford\u2019s plan respect the criteria of the <a data-evt-val=\"{\"control_fields\": {\"mparticle\": {\"keys\": {\"click_source_type\": \"click_source_type\", \"anchor_text\": \"anchor_text\", \"target_url\": \"target_url\", \"layout_section\": \"layout_section\"}, \"mp_event_type\": \"Navigation\", \"extra_keys\": [\"click_vertical_position_percentage\", \"click_vertical_position_pixels\"]}}, \"click_source_type\": \"in-page link\", \"anchor_text\": \"Canadian Health Act\", \"target_url\": \"https:\/\/www.canada.ca\/en\/health-canada\/services\/health-care-system\/canada-health-care-system-medicare\/canada-health-act.html\", \"layout_section\": \"in-page-link\"}\" data-evt=\"click\" data-evt-typ=\"click\" href=\"https:\/\/www.canada.ca\/en\/health-canada\/services\/health-care-system\/canada-health-care-system-medicare\/canada-health-act.html\">Canadian Health Act<\/a>?<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<p>Article content<\/p>\n<p>1. Public Administration: The health-care insurance plan of a province must be administered and operated on a non-profit basis by a public authority appointed or designated by the government of the province.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<p>Article content<\/p>\n<p>2. Comprehensiveness: To satisfy the criterion respecting comprehensiveness, the health-care insurance plan of a province must insure all insured health services provided by hospitals, medical practitioners or dentists, and, where the law of the province so permits, similar or additional services rendered by other health-care practitioners.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<p> Nicole Feriancek <br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/ottawacitizen.com\/opinion\/right-to-free-health-care\" class=\"button purchase\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Our health system does a decent job with emergencies and acute care. It falls down woefully when it comes to disabilities and chronic, debilitating illnesses that might not actually kill people but will significantly erode their quality of life. Photo by MARTIN BARRAUD \/GETTY IMAGES Article content The Ontario health care system is failing us<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":888353,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36546,2196],"tags":[20051,6156],"class_list":{"0":"post-888352","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-constitutional","8":"category-right","9":"tag-constitutional","10":"tag-right"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/888352","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=888352"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/888352\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/888353"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=888352"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=888352"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=888352"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}