Latest news with #privatization
CTV News
2 days ago
- Health
- CTV News
Union stops in Espanola, Ont., to warn of ‘Trojan horse' of private heath care
A a symbol from Greek mythology was used Friday in Espanola as part of a campaign about the perils of privatization in health care. The union that represents hospital workers across the province is used a symbol from Greek mythology Friday in Espanola to drive home its campaign about the perils of privatization in health care. Despite inclement weather, the 15-foot wooden Trojan horse still carried its message outside the Espanola Hospital. Espanola Trojan horse Despite inclement weather, the 15-foot wooden Trojan horse still carried its message warning of private care outside the Espanola Hospital. (Photo from video) 'Doug Ford has said privatization will be a gift to alleviate the crisis that we're having in the health care system and we're really saying it's destroying the health care system,' said Kevin Cook of CUPE's Ontario Council of Hospital Unions. 'It's not going to help.' The province-wide campaign uses the Trojan horse symbol to warn about what it calls a false promise from the government. The governing Conservatives have said privatized surgeries is a solution to long wait times. But the union said privatization redirects money and staff from public health care, and wait times get longer due to staffing shortages. NDP Health Critic France Gelinas said it's a reality she sees all too often and she said it's one of the factors behind recent service closures. 'This has been trialed in many, many countries,' Gelinas said. 'Australia tried it, the UK tried it. It's always the same: the rich gain fantastic access. The rest of us will all suffer because the number of nurses, the number of surgeons, the number of specialists are limited.' In a statement to CTV News, a spokesperson for the minister of health had this to say: 'Ontario is proud to have one of the largest publicly funded health-care systems in the world, and under the leadership of Premier Ford, our government has made record investments in our publicly funded health-care system to connect more people to the care they need when they need it. 'The actions our government is taking have led Ontario to achieve some of the shortest wait times in Canada.' The union's Trojan horse and its message will be stopping in five northern communities next week. The campaign will continue until the end of November.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
REPEAT – Health care advocates afraid of major cuts and privatization hold shadow summit and rally at Council of the Federation next week
HUNTSVILLE, Ontario, July 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Outside the Council of the Federation and the gathering of First Ministers, public health care advocates from across Canada will be joining a shadow summit, rally, and car cavalcade. Attendees include Health Coalitions, patients, patient advocates, nurses, doctors, care workers, mental health advocacy organizations, environmental groups, Indigenous organizations, seniors' groups, union leaders, and more. When & Where: Shadow Summit – Monday, July 21 from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Hidden Valley Resort (next door to the Deerhurst Resort where the Premiers are meeting) 1755 Valley Rd, Huntsville, ON P1H 1A8 Reporters & health care reporters welcome. Opening plenary re key issues & updates across Canada, 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. Rally and Car Cavalcade – Tuesday, July 22 12:00 p.m. noon media availability with Health Coalition leaders from across Canada on the road outside Deerhurst Resort 12:15 p.m. rally outside Deerhurst Resort 12:50 p.m. car cavalcades from the rally through Huntsville to corner of Highway 11 & Highway 60 1:10 p.m. rally near intersection of Highway 11 and Highway 60 Who: hosted by the Canadian Health Coalition, Ontario Health Coalition, and the Ontario Federation of Labour. As Canada's leaders meet, our public health care system is, without exaggeration, in open crisis. Runaway privatization is taking funding and staff away from public health care services. Staffing shortages are a national catastrophe, forcing emergency departments to close and leaving health care workers with impossible workloads while patients wait longer and suffer more. Private clinics are violating the Canada Health Act, charging patients hundreds to thousands of dollars for surgeries and diagnostic tests in illegal user fees and extra-billing. Seniors can't access the care they need. Mental health and addiction services are underfunded, subject to privatization and cuts, or simply unavailable. Millions still do not have access to family medicine. The implementation of the first phase of pharmacare has stalled. This event serves to remind our political leaders that the economy exists to serve people, not the other way around, and the economy is more than militarism and private sector projects. If a 70-year-old goes to a private clinic and is forced to use their life savings and pay thousands of dollars for their surgery, what chance do they have to get out of poverty for the rest of their life? If a person has diabetes and cannot afford their insulin and supplies, what economy is there for them? Health care can't wait, and privatization is the destruction of Public Medicare, not a solution. Health Coalitions are demanding funding, resources, and public solutions in the public interest. For more information: Natalie Mehra, executive director, Ontario Health Coalition cell (416) 230-6402; Salah Shadir, administration & operations director, Ontario Health Coalition cell (647) in to access your portfolio
Arab News
7 days ago
- Business
- Arab News
Pakistan to close national chain of subsidized retail stores amid privatization push
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will shut down the state-owned Utility Stores Corporation (USC) by July 31 as part of a broader government effort to restructure and privatize loss-making public sector entities, according to a statement from the finance ministry carried by state broadcaster Radio Pakistan on Wednesday. The decision follows years of declining performance, mismanagement allegations, and heavy financial losses at the USC, a nationwide retail chain originally established in 1971 to provide essential commodities at subsidized prices to low-income households. The stores were once a key instrument in the government's food security and price control policies but have faced mounting criticism over inefficiency, politicized staffing and weak oversight. A high-level committee formed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to oversee the closure and privatization of the USC met on Wednesday in Islamabad, with Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb chairing the session. The committee is responsible for ensuring a transparent shutdown process, designing a fair Voluntary Separation Scheme (VSS) for USC employees and recommending a timeline for privatization or asset disposal. 'All operations of Utility Stores Corporation will be closed by 31st of this month in accordance with the government's directives,' the Radio Pakistan report said. The committee 'discussed at length the formulation of a fair and financially viable Voluntary Separation Scheme for the Utility Stores employees' and examined various aspects including its potential size, fiscal impact, and legal implications. To support the analysis, a sub-committee led by the secretary of the Establishment Division has been formed and will submit recommendations on the structure and feasibility of the VSS by the end of the week. The committee also advised that the government's Privatization Commission be consulted on whether the USC's assets should be sold off or restructured for privatization. The closure of the USC marks a significant step in Pakistan's ongoing efforts to reduce the burden of state-owned enterprises on the national budget in line with reforms encouraged by the International Monetary Fund. Over the years, several audits and parliamentary reviews have pointed to chronic inefficiencies at the USC, including procurement irregularities and an inability to meet its mandate effectively in remote and underserved areas.
Daily Mail
7 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Stunning California village outraged over plans for 'crown jewel' plot of coastal land
A breathtaking California village has been left outraged after a 'crown jewel' plot of coastal land hit the market for $6.95 million - making residents feel they might never get to bask in its glory. The Albion Headlands - an iconic 84 acres of crashing waves, raw bluffs and hills off the Mendocino Coast - is now up for sale, giving its prospective buyer a chance to not just own it, but subdivide it into 16 residential parcels. The private beauty spot has long been known as a staple in Albion - about 15 miles outside of Fort Bragg - that has majestic and calming views. But now, if a wealthy buyer swoops in to take the land, locals fear they might never get to enjoy it for themselves. For Chris Skyhawk, a longtime Mendocino Coast resident, the view alone takes his breath away and gives him a feeling 'you can just feel in your soul when you sit up there and just get real quiet and look,' he told SFGATE. News of the land's listing has not sat well with him, and he especially didn't favor the idea of 'reimagining' the highlands - the language that was used in Sotheby's International Realty listing for the plot. Skyhawk believes the sale of the land is going against what it is all about, adding: 'Let's reimagine heaven. How can we improve it?' 'We're becoming kind of a Disneyland for rich people,' Skyhawk said. He went on to say that the privatization of the area is 'part of the sin of capitalism,' adding that 'rich people can be up there now and enjoy the view.' For him, redeveloping the Albion Highlands 'is about as popular as offshore oil drilling.' Despite Skyhawk's views, Justin Nadeau, the broker representing the listing, said he has made conservation a major point in the sale - so much so that he contacted the Mendocino Land Trust, local tribal leaders and a private contact he thinks would help protect the sacred land. 'The first party, Mendocino Land Trust, stepped up right away and they've made this public,' he told the outlet. 'My intentions of this is not just, "Hey let's get this great listing and sell off this beautiful chunk of land,' you know, to make a bunch of money",' Nadeau continued. In fact, Conrad Kramer, executive director of the Mendocino Land Trust, said the non-profit is actively trying to purchase the land so they can be the ones to give the community what it wants. 'Some very rich person or developer could still swoop in and grab it,' Kramer said. 'We think that that won't happen right away, and I'm knocking on wood here.' The land trust was founded in 1976 and helps protect thousands of acres of land along California's North Coast. Although the group usually helps out through conservation easements, Kramer said they have decided to throw all their eggs in one basket for the highlands. Kramer and the rest of the non-profit believe that purchasing the land is the only way it can be made open to the public. Unfortunately, there is only so much money they can offer. 'We have to get an appraisal done and we can't pay more than that appraised value,' Kramer explained. Personally, he believes the current asking price is 'considerably over the actual value,' so if the seller does not accept their number 'we might be out of luck.' 'We think that they'll come in and maybe cover half of the price of this property. And then the rest will have to come from somewhere else,' he added. Donations for the cause have already been made by the group's supporters, Kramer said, adding that they haven't launched an official campaign for it. In response to Skyhawk's comment on how the land sale was marketed, Nadeau clarified what he meant by the term 'reimagining.' 'When I talk about reimagining the future of the Albion Headlands, I'm actually talking about reimagining it in a way for the public to be there and use it. 'The current imagination of the property is houses and condos,' he explained. The realtor said he also took time to speak with locals who have lived in the area for about five to six decades. As he did so, he quickly noticed a pattern between them all - that 'they've never actually been out there [the highlands].' According to him, the listing has sparked frustrations about the lack of open space and public ownership. Because the Albion Headlands is considered private land, those who access it are technically trespassing, Tom Wodetzki, another longtime resident, told the outlet. 'Albion is about the only community on the coast that doesn't have its own headlands proper,' the environmental advocate said, pointing to other nearby towns - Little River, Mendocino, Fort Bragg, and Cleone - that all have public headland trails. 'People have not been able to go up there without trespassing,' Wodetzki said. Because of the land's restrictions, he thinks it's 'extra important for locals to get our way [that] we can go watch the sunset from the headlands.' Although Nadeau wants the land to be sold to someone who will put the interest of the community before their own, he said there is still a chance it could be snagged and built on, leaving it private. 'If a private individual decides, "Hey, I'm going to buy the property and I'm going to build a single house," the property is then basically lost to the public forever,' he said.
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
‘Healthcare professionals in Malaysia's national health services see no future'
A consultant paediatrician says he is compelled to speak out about the state of Malaysia's health services, following the limited solutions offered by Putrajaya and what he describes as the government's apparent ignorance of the demoralisation among healthcare professionals. Datuk Dr Amar-Singh HSS took issue with the government's move towards a fee-for-service model, describing it as 'not good for the poor and middle class'. In an email to newsrooms, Dr Amar said: 'I do not agree with private practice being a model for healthcare. It is expensive and no longer controlled by doctors, but by large corporations whose primary goal is profit.' 'Private healthcare only serves those who can afford it. I have friends and colleagues in the private sector. Many do good work, but they are unable to control the fee structures, which are determined by private hospitals and corporations.' He said the Health Ministry's recent 'Rakan KKM' initiative, announced by Health Minister Datuk Seri Dzulkefly Ahmad, was yet another attempt at implementing a fee-for-service model. The programme, which introduces an 'express lane' for elective procedures in government hospitals, has drawn criticism from various quarters. Some claim it will create a two-tier system, diverting resources to patients who can pay. Dzulkefly recently clarified that the initiative is not a form of privatisation and does not apply to emergency cases. He said it is instead a transformative effort aimed at improving access to elective procedures in public healthcare facilities. 'Past fee-for-service models include allowing ministry specialists to work in part-time private practice, the full-paying patient scheme, and private wings. All of these take away experience and expertise from those who need them most,' Dr Amar said. 'They further widen the inequality of care within the national health service. It's suggested that specialists have extra time to work under the Rakan KKM scheme, but most of us in the ministry already put in 10 to 12-hour working days, excluding on-call duties.' He said the Health Ministry seems unaware of the demoralisation and exhaustion plaguing its healthcare professionals. 'Healthcare professionals in our national health services currently see no future. I am unsure who is advising our good Health Minister, but the advice is poor. 'We do not pay taxes so that our national health services can be turned into a fee-for-service or corporatised model – or whatever term we choose to use. Private health insurance and social health insurance are not good solutions.' He acknowledged there were no easy fixes to resurrect Malaysia's national health services, which have been ailing for decades. 'But perhaps it's important to identify what plagues our system. Why have we reached this low point, where many specialists want to leave the service? 'Why do new graduates and young doctors prefer to work overseas or in the private sector instead of joining the Health Ministry? Why do we have such a low number of nursing staff and allied healthcare professionals? Why is our hospital and healthcare infrastructure so poor?' Dr Amar said Malaysia has historically spent too little on health services. 'Meanwhile, successive governments have spent lavishly on mega projects. Preterm babies, ill children, and adults have died due to the lack of intensive care services. 'The decades-long failure to resolve overcrowded emergency departments, outpatient clinics, and primary care services reflects a long-standing neglect of public health. 'The Pakatan Harapan government had pledged to 'rebuild Malaysia from the rubble of devastation brought about by overlapping crises across multiple sectors, including healthcare...' But it has failed to live up to its manifesto promises on health.' Dr Amar said corrupt practices have also taken a toll on Malaysia's healthcare system, especially in terms of spending and development. 'A lack of meritocracy in the civil service is stunting the development of the health sector, and we are haemorrhaging good professionals to the private sector and overseas. 'Meanwhile, we've failed to improve the quality of medical undergraduate training, leading to increased medical errors and incompetency.' He noted that Singapore, among others, has been actively recruiting Malaysian healthcare professionals. Dr Amar said Malaysia must first acknowledge the extent of the crisis in order to move forward. 'We cannot make progress without a candid assessment and public admission of our dire healthcare crisis. 'Next, we must revisit some of the promises made in the October 2022 Harapan Manifesto, such as: Healthcare reform must be done immediately before it is too late; Increasing public healthcare expenditure to 5 per cent of the nation's Gross Domestic Product within five years to keep up with population growth, lifespan increases and current needs; and shifting from sick care to healthcare and wellness, including addressing the social determinants of health such as poverty, and providing health education and equal access for all.' 'Although the Pakatan Harapan government has failed to fulfil most of these promises over the past two years, the ideas remain sound and should be pursued. 'We need to increase public healthcare spending and prioritise preventive health measures. Workable funding solutions must be developed. 'I urge the government to return to its healthcare promises and reflect on what it once stood for. Any meaningful health reform must be transparent, accessible to the public, and involve all Malaysians in its development,' he added.
