Debates of Sept. 28th, 2023

Motions in Amendment

[Mark Gerretsen, Liberal, Kingston and the Islands, ON]

Madam Speaker, I think we can carry this on division.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès), Liberal, Alexandra Mendes]

I declare Motion No. 1 carried on division.

(Motion No. 1 agreed to)

[Judy Sgro, Liberal, Humber River—Black Creek, ON]

moved that the bill, as amended, be concurred in at report stage with a further amendment.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès), Liberal, Alexandra Mendes]

If a member participating in person wishes that the motion be carried or carried on division or if a member of a recognized party participating in person wishes to request a recorded division, I would invite them to rise and indicate it to the Chair.

The deputy House leader.

[Mark Gerretsen, Liberal, Kingston and the Islands, ON]

Madam Speaker, we request that it be carried on division.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès), Liberal, Alexandra Mendes]

I declare the motion carried.

(Motion agreed to)

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès), Liberal, Alexandra Mendes]

When shall the bill be read the third time? By leave, now?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[Judy Sgro, Liberal, Humber River—Black Creek, ON]

moved that the bill be now read the third time and passed.

Madam Speaker, I want to begin, as always, by acknowledging my colleagues who are here, because it takes all of us for anything to get passed in this House.

Bill C-284 is important to me, but it is very important to the communities that we all represent: CNIB, Fighting Blindness and all of those organizations plus all of the people who are suffering from blindness and vision problems, and I know that there are many in this room itself.

Now that I have managed to get the bill to third reading, I want to begin by thanking all members for getting it that far, and I hope that this is the last time that I am speaking to it. Maybe we can get this bill eventually moved over to the Senate and get the work done there that needs to be done that will improve vision for thousands and thousands of Canadians. There are many MPs who have vision loss or vision problems themselves, and I am hoping that a nationalized strategy will bring all of the partners together as we move forward.

October starts next week. In October we will be celebrating Children's Vision Month and I am honoured to be able to speak to you all today, on the eve of this occasion, about my bill, Bill C-284, establishing a national strategy for eye care. I trust that again together, because we do not do anything alone and it takes all of us, we will be able to move this forward and get the House's support for Bill C-284 in the third reading stage to help children reach their full potential with good eye health and vision care. We cannot let the blur obscure children's future.

As early as 2003, the Canadian government made a commitment to the World Health Organization to develop a vision health plan for Canada by 2007 and implement this plan by 2009. Just to remind members, we are at 2023. The vision loss community has been waiting for a very long time to see Canada take some steps when it comes to a national eye care strategy, but Canada has lacked any substantive framework on the matter of public eye health care to this day.

When I started to look closer at the issue, it was clear to me that it has to be changed. We have taken tremendous steps forward in improving the health of Canadians with the promise of national pharmacare and most recently a plan to implement national dental care. The introduction of a strategy to improve vision care is another critical step in this direction. It is worth reminding members that, in 2021, the Canadian Council of the Blind in partnership with Fighting Blindness Canada, the Canadian Ophthalmological Society and the Canadian Association of Optometrists, with support of other organizations, commissioned a study on the cost of vision loss in Canada. The study revealed that Canada is experiencing an emerging crisis in avoidable vision loss that has the potential to get even worse unless action is taken immediately.

Members might well be aware of those striking numbers: Over eight million Canadians have an eye disease; 1.2 million live with vision loss or blindness; and 1,292 deaths were associated with vision loss in 2019 alone. There is a high percentage of seniors and school-age children who have undiagnosed eye problems. The study suggests that without changes in public policy, the number of Canadians living with a blinding eye disease will increase to up to 14 million Canadians by 2050. Meanwhile, 75% of vision loss can be prevented, and prevention is the key. Establishing a national eye care strategy would ensure that Canadians' vision health is prioritized.

We all take our vision for granted. It is only when we start to find that we cannot see as well as we used to or as well as we would like to that we start to maybe pay attention by checking the last time we had an eye exam, and making sure that we are taking good care of our eyes as we take care of other parts of our body. Unfortunately, we often do not until it is much too late.

There are so many challenges when one cannot see, from social isolation to depression to travel difficulties. Vision loss has a profound loss on individuals, their families and society, costing our economy an estimated $32.9 billion a year.

I will just repeat that number: The cost because of vision loss is $32.9 billion a year. Over half of that cost is attributed to the reduced quality of life primarily due to loss of independence, especially in the aging population. Another $4 billion is attributed to reduced productivity in the workplace.

Bill C-284, when passed, would commit the government to a national strategy, a framework dedicated to improved access to eye care and rehabilitation services, a strategy that also envisions the creation of a vision desk at the Public Health Agency of Canada and investments in research to find new treatments to prevent and stop blindness. The bill is also calling on an enhanced access to eye health care for indigenous people.

Our eyesight is precious. Without it, we are bound in countless ways: physically, socially, cognitively and more. The impacts of blindness include an increased risk of financial hardship, as well as the inability to drive, read, participate in physically activity or socially interact with others, which can often lead to depression and other mental illnesses. Improving eye health would contribute to improved well-being and unlock human potential for everyone. I invite my colleagues to join me on this mission to protect this valuable sense.

Making eye health, vision care and rehabilitation services a health priority requires members' support. I encourage all who are here today to become champions for Bill C-284 in their own areas and refer it to the Senate as soon as possible so we might all be able to celebrate it as the law of the land sooner rather than later.

Again, I call on all my colleagues in the House to please support Bill C-284 in its third reading today, on the eve of the Children's Vision Month of October, which is to help children reach their full potential with good eye health and vision care.

To my colleagues, I thank them very much. I appreciate getting to the third reading. The best thing tonight would be for the bill to collapse, go for a vote and have it move on to the Senate, but I am in my colleagues' hands as this debate progresses.

[Ziad Aboultaif, Conservative, Edmonton Manning, AB]

Madam Speaker, I thank the member for such a great bill.

If 75% of the cases are preventable, what is the remedy to make that awareness happen so Canadians can prevent getting a disease that is related to their eye care and their vision?

[Judy Sgro, Liberal, Humber River—Black Creek, ON]

Madam Speaker, clearly it is the whole issue of awareness. We neglect far too many things, and eyes are another thing we neglect until we start to develop a problem, when it is often too late.

Establishing a national eye care strategy with a framework would bring the provinces to the table with the federal government and other health officials to develop a plan to increase awareness and to make sure tests are available for people everywhere, so they do not develop glaucoma or macular degeneration. By the time they find out, it is way too late. If we talk about awareness, as we do with many things, it would get people to go see a doctor earlier rather than later.

[Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay, Bloc, Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC]

Madam Speaker, I salute my colleague, who is the chair of the committee I sit on. We have been working together almost on a weekly basis for almost four years. I congratulate her on her bill. Obviously, the Bloc Québécois will support it. We see no reason to oppose it.

That being said, the measures in this bill are mostly symbolic in nature, like an awareness month or producing a report. Once it has been stated that we will be supporting it, why not move forward quickly in a very real and tangible way?

[Judy Sgro, Liberal, Humber River—Black Creek, ON]

Madam Speaker, my hon. colleague and I work very well together and advance a lot of good, important issues at the Standing Committee on International Trade. I have lobbied many of my colleagues over the last year and spoken to them about the bill. CNIB, Fighting Blindness Canada and the other 25 organizations that are supporting the bill have all sent letters, and they have all lobbied everybody.

Tonight it is in our hands. If we simply speak briefly and let the bill collapse, it will go to a vote next Wednesday and it will be in the Senate right away. Then we can get the Senate to work as fast as all of us do, I hope.

[Terry Sheehan, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Labour and Seniors]

Madam Speaker, I would be remiss if I did not thank the member for Humber River—Black Creek, as my wife is an ophthalmologist's medical tech. Your comment that 75% of eye issues are preventable is right on. I hope the request of the hon. member happens, and the bill collapses, goes to the Senate and comes back for a vote.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

I want to remind the hon. member he is to address questions and comments through the Chair.

The hon. member for Humber River—Black Creek.

[Judy Sgro, Liberal, Humber River—Black Creek, ON]

Madam Speaker, as I indicated earlier, it takes all of us to make a difference in this country.

The national eye strategy was started by you, Madam Speaker. You were the one who started this several times through different motions that you tried to move forward. I suspect that if I had not had this opportunity because my name got picked out of the hat first, you would have been the one moving forward on this issue.

This nationalized care strategy is a tribute to you as well for the work that you have done in trying to get a vision strategy done. I acknowledge that work, Madam Speaker.

[Michelle Ferreri, Conservative, Peterborough—Kawartha, ON]

Madam Speaker, I would ask what this looks like for the member in terms of the provincial jurisdiction. We are trying to navigate this waterway when we are looking at a national eye care strategy, but we still have provincial and territorial jurisdictions. How does she see that panning out?

[Judy Sgro, Liberal, Humber River—Black Creek, ON]

Madam Speaker, I think one of the first things that have to happen as part of this framework is the establishment of someone from each province and territory who is going to sit down at the table with the federal government. Together they would move forward on how the framework will look and how it will establish the treatment opportunities for many people.

[Ziad Aboultaif, Conservative, Edmonton Manning, AB]

Madam Speaker, most of us take our eyes for granted until we have a problem with them. When we have a problem, it is not the time to be scrambling for solutions. That is why I support Bill C-284, the national eye care strategy act. I thank the hon. member for Humber River—Black Creek for bringing this matter before the House.

One of the reasons I like this legislation is that it understands the need for co-operation in health care. It calls on the Minister of Health to establish a national strategy for eye care in collaboration with provincial and territorial governments, as well as indigenous leaders and other health care-related stakeholders. There are approximately eight million Canadians who suffer from some form of degenerative eye disease. That means one in five Canadians.

Look around this chamber. Statistically, it is likely that 68 hon. members are afflicted by a degenerative eye disease. Sometimes people are not aware of it. It could be one of us. It could be me.

Fighting Blindness Canada, the largest charitable funder of vision research in Canada, estimates that 75% of eye disease cases are preventable in the event of early diagnosis. That is a sobering number and explains why we need a national eye care strategy. This afflicts one in five Canadians and in most cases is preventable. We would be derelict in our duty if we did not work to address this issue.

The most common eye diseases in Canada include macular degeneration, cataracts, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy. All of those can lead to blindness if not treated in time. The earlier the treatment, the better the chances of a positive outcome.

The bill calls for a national strategy to identify the training and educational needs of health care practitioners who specialize in ocular care; to promote improved research on prevention and treatment; to promote data sharing between the federal and provincial governments in relation to eye disease prevention; and to facilitate the rapid approval of new treatments used for eye disease. It is not that nothing is being done now; it is that we need to do more. That is why this bill calls upon the Minister of Health to take into consideration existing strategies directed at prevention and treatment of eye disease. A national approach taking into account what is already being done in the provinces should be of benefit to all Canadians.

This is a health care issue, one that affects the quality of life of millions of Canadians. As I said earlier, we tend to take our eyes for granted. I can think of few things that are more terrifying than slowly going blind, but that is the reality many Canadians are facing, and we have the opportunity in this House to do something about it. If we are serious about health care, then we should be serious about eye care, as our eyes are vitally important to our health.

As well as being a health issue, this is a financial issue. Fighting Blindness Canada estimates that preventable blindness in Canada costs about $33 billion each year, as the hon. member said earlier. That includes $9.5 billion in direct health care costs, $6.1 billion in indirect health care costs and $17.4 billion for the cost of well-being. Admittedly, this is not as much money as the Liberal deficit, but it is still a staggering amount when we stop to think about it. That is the cost of eye disease that could be prevented through early detection and treatment, something that would be enhanced by having a national eye care strategy as outlined in this legislation.

Vision loss will usually have a negative impact on an individual's financial health. Along with that comes a loss of independence and reduced quality of life.

Canada's population is aging, and many eye diseases are age-related. That means the number of individuals living with vision loss is growing. Those numbers will increasingly impact Canada's health system and economy, so it is important that we act now.

It is important, as the bill states, to “identify the needs of health care professionals for training and guidance on the prevention and treatment of eye disease and to vision rehabilitation;” to “promote research and improve data collection on eye disease prevention and treatment and on vision rehabilitation”; and to “promote information and knowledge sharing between the federal and provincial governments in relation to eye disease prevention and treatment and to vision rehabilitation”. We have the ability to make this a reality.

Bill C-284 also calls for the designation of the month of February as “Age-Related Macular Degeneration Awareness Month”. I also support that. This designation has been used in other countries as a way to bring the issue to a wider audience. In so many cases of eye disease, prevention starts with awareness. By concentrating on the issue for the month of February, more Canadians will become aware of the eye issues they may face as they age and what can be done in terms of prevention.

All of us age, although most of us cannot imagine what things will look like when we are older. We may think that macular degenerative eye disease is going to happen to someone else and not to us. However, the truth is that it affects too many Canadians. If a person does not suffer from it, probably someone in their family or a close friend or colleague will.

The experts tell me that macular degeneration occurs most often in people over 60 years old, and Canada does have an aging population problem. What is a problem now will only grow larger as the rest of the baby boomer generation moves into retirement. Age is a big factor when it comes to degenerative eye disease. A person in their 50s has about a 2% chance of getting age-related macular degeneration. By the time they reach 75, their chance is about one in three. Yet, as I said, most macular degeneration issues can be prevented with early recognition and treatment, which is why a month spent raising awareness of this issue is so important.

Losing one's eyesight is terrifying to contemplate. Vision loss is an issue that literally affects millions of Canadians. We have the ability to do something to prevent it. There is no reason to delay.

I support Bill C-284, the national strategy for eye care act. We need to do what we can to protect the health of Canadians. I encourage members to support the bill.

[Marie-Hélène Gaudreau, Bloc, Laurentides—Labelle, QC]

Madam Speaker, there is an important celebration happening tonight. It is the 40th anniversary of the Centre collégial de Mont-Laurier, where I graduated from in 1997. I want to say hello to everyone there. I cannot be with them, but they will see that the work we are doing in the House of Commons is important.

I want to congratulate the member for Humber River—Black Creek for her initiative. Hats off to her. She is the member behind Bill C‑284.

We talked about this earlier. I note that the Liberal Party, the Conservative Party, the NDP and also the Bloc Québécois agree on this bill. Therefore, I think the time has come to move forward, and we are getting there. Tonight, it is nice to have a calm atmosphere, so we can listen to each other. Some people may be falling asleep but, that said, this is an important subject. Everyone has been earning their keep these past few days.

The current bill is similar to several bills that have been introduced in recent parliaments. I am thinking about bills on autism, cancer and diabetes. These bills are designed to raise public awareness of these illnesses, both in terms of prevention and education. We know very well that prevention is necessary and the key to a healthy world. Whether through sport, diet or healthy lifestyle choices, we can work towards having a healthier population and thus put less pressure on the health care system.

However, prevention also involves raising awareness and providing information. We are not all specialists who know everything about every disease. That is understandable. We do, however, need to be vigilant about our own health. That goes without saying. It is all about taking prevention into our own hands. That said, we also need to know how to detect symptoms and recognize when it is time to consult a health professional. No one wants to clog up the emergency room.

Millions of Canadians are suffering from eye disease. We know that. Eye health is important to our quality of life. We are therefore in favour of Bill C‑284 because it is not restrictive and does not interfere with Quebec's exclusive jurisdiction over health.

This bill requires the federal government to produce a report that will form the future Canadian strategy for eye health.

Madam Speaker, I think I am bothering some of the members opposite, but that is okay. That does not bother me because often—

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

Order. I am told that some people can be heard talking. I encourage people who want to have conversations to take them outside.

There are proceedings taking place, and it is not respectful to the member who is trying to deliver a very important speech.

The hon. member for Laurentides—Labelle.

[Marie-Hélène Gaudreau, Bloc, Laurentides—Labelle, QC]

Madam Speaker, thank you for enforcing respect in the House.

I will share a story about a constituent. His name is Sylvain. His story will illustrate why Bill C-284 is important. His situation is a bit like mine.

Sylvain is a man in his fifties. He works at a big bank. He is a very busy man. He has been wearing glasses for a number of years. Over time, he notices that his vision is not as keen as it used to be. He assumes that it is a natural part of the aging process. It seems to line up with his age.

Sylvain neglects to make an appointment with the optometrist because he is a busy man. He does not take the time to do it. He figures he will get his eyes tested someday and get a new prescription. When the time comes, he goes to his eye exam and he has to see the ophthalmologist. Unfortunately, the news is not good. He gets an alarming diagnosis: It is glaucoma.

Many people are familiar with this disease, which damages the optic nerve so that information is not properly transmitted from the eye to the brain. The way I explain it to people is that it is as if you woke up one morning and you feel as though you are looking through a straw. Sylvain was about to retire. He had plans. He was living in Montreal but was moving to the country, to the Laurentians, in my riding. He was planning to travel and go on bike rides. In the winter, he was planning to ski in the area. In the end, he had a lot less quality time and he had to set aside some of his plans.

Because of the type of glaucoma that he had and the stage of the disease, it was too late for Sylvain. Even the drugs he was prescribed could not slow the disease's progression. It was really impossible, and that is why prevention is key. There is a lack of knowledge. This disease must be prevented. It is unacceptable that people like Sylvain and many other Quebeckers and Canadians are unable to recognize the warning signs, but we cannot blame them. At the same time, if people do know the signs, then they can take action. It is also not easy to get the right information. Some people even have trouble distinguishing between a cold and the flu, so imagine trying to tell the difference between glaucoma, astigmatism or another eye problem, and yet some eye diseases can be fatal.

I mentioned at the outset that I was once in a similar position. In my early forties—some would say it was not so long ago—my eyes were fine. All of a sudden, I felt my eyesight change. My eyesight had started to deteriorate as I got closer to 40, so I got my eyes checked out. I was told that I had early-stage glaucoma. I was shocked to think that I, at 40 years old, would need laser eye surgery to prevent glaucoma. I learned afterwards that it runs in my family. My colleagues can imagine how many people fall through the cracks and cannot get surgery, like Sylvain, who now sees the world as if he is looking through a straw. I was lucky. I did not even know what glaucoma was. Even while preparing this speech, I had to read up on the disease because I was not sure of the facts anymore. That shows how ill-equipped we are as a society to recognize the major symptoms of many diseases.

I am sure that many Quebeckers in the House will talk about this. I would like to remind my colleagues of an ad that ran on television. It was a major national campaign in Quebec known as Memo-mamo. Lise Dion, a well-known Quebec comedian, was featured in these ads, which urged women to book an appointment for a mammogram and get early cancer screening. More than 60,000 women in Quebec have registered with the Quebec breast cancer screening program. That is a record in 100 years of campaigning.

It took a major awareness and education campaign for Quebec to get a breast cancer prevention policy. Women are the ones who are most commonly diagnosed with this type of cancer, which has the highest survival rate if the screening detects it in time. The same goes for the example I gave of glaucoma. It takes money to run screening and prevention campaigns. The federal government needs to be able to conduct such health campaigns in Quebec. In order for the Quebec department of health to take the necessary measures to keep Quebeckers healthy—and let us not forget that health falls under the exclusive jurisdiction of Quebec—the federal government needs to understand that the bill is important and that the Bloc Québécois supports it.

[Matthew Green, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

Madam Speaker, today I rise to speak in support of Bill C-284, which is an act to establish a national strategy for eye care. I want to thank the hon. member for Humber River—Black Creek for introducing this important legislation, which addresses a long-neglected issue in our health care system.

Above my desk in my office here in Ottawa is a portrait of Tommy Douglas. When I think about the impact that he has had on health care for Canadians, I often reflect on his saying this: “When we're talking about medical care we're talking about our sense of values.”

Our New Democratic Party has been advocating for a comprehensive, public health care system since our founding convention in 1961, where it was affirmed:

Believing that a country's most precious possession is the health of its citizens, the New Party will introduce a National Health Plan, providing benefits to those who need them without regard to their ability to pay. The plan will cover a full range of services: medical, surgical, dental and optical treatment, as well as prescribed drugs and appliances.

I am proud of the role that New Democrats have played in establishing our national health care, as well as recent work we have done to force the Liberal government to establish a national dental care program. We will continue to work toward a national pharmacare plan. I believe that it is also important to add eye care to our universal health care model.

In one of the richest countries in the world, it is shameful that millions of our fellow Canadians lack access to essential eye care. Over eight million Canadians live with an eye condition that puts them at significant risk of blindness. We know that, as the population continues to age, this number will only increase.

Seventy per cent of existing vision impairments in Canada are estimated to be correctable with prescription glasses, yet not everyone who needs glasses can afford them. The impact this has on the independence and quality of life of individuals and their families is significant.

In 2019, vision loss had a direct and indirect economic impact of $33 billion, a number that is expected to rise to $56 billion by 2050. I appreciate the comprehensiveness of this bill; in particular, it would identify the training, education and guidance needs of health care practitioners and other professionals related to the prevention and treatment of eye disease, including clinical, practical guidelines.

It would also promote research and improve data collection on eye disease prevention and treatment. It would promote information and knowledge sharing between the federal and provincial governments in relation to eye disease prevention and treatment. It would ensure that Health Canada is able to rapidly consider new applications for treatments and devices used for macular degeneration, cataracts, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy.

What is more, this bill designates February as age-related macular degeneration month, raising awareness and education about the most common cause of vision loss in individuals over 50.

I want to take a moment here to recognize Hamilton Health Sciences, McMaster University, St. Joseph's Healthcare and the researchers at the Regional Eye Institute at St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, who are currently undertaking one of the most comprehensive studies on the prevalence of age-related macular degeneration. This work will help us understand the prevalence of AMD among Canadians, and it could even provide us with valuable insight on the genetic and lifestyle risk factors linked to developing it, as well as treatments to slow vision loss in patients with AMD.

The need for a national strategy is, in part, obvious, because it is the right thing to do. However, it is also needed because there currently exists an inequality and inadequacy of eye care services at the provincial level. For instance, most health guidelines recommend having an eye exam once a year for people aged six to 18 years or 65 years or older, as well as those with diabetes or an eye disease. However, Manitoba and Nova Scotia only insure eye exams every 24 months for all seniors. Ontario has ended free annual eye exams for seniors through the Ontario health insurance plan, so those who cannot afford to pay out-of-pocket for an eye exam are putting their health at risk. The different services provided by each province will lead to greater health inequalities for Canadians, solely because of where they happen to live. This clearly highlights the need for a national eye care strategy and the importance of having eye care fully covered by our health care system.

There is also a gender issue at stake. Women carry a greater burden of visual impairment. Recent studies show that one in four women is at risk of visual impairment compared to only one in eight men. In a society that claims to value gender equality, this disparity is unacceptable.

As the NDP health critic and my colleague from Vancouver Kingsway pointed out, this legislation aligns with the NDP's long-standing commitment to universal public health care. It also echoes the excellent work of my NDP colleague, the hon. member for Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing, who introduced Motion No. 86 this past May calling on the federal government to work toward a national strategy for eye and health care. New Democrats are not newcomers to this issue, Madam Speaker, as you of all people would well know. We are proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with organizations like Fighting Blindness Canada, the Canadian Council of the Blind and the CNIB, which are leading the call for greater support for eye care.

In conclusion, I ask my colleagues across all parties to support Bill C-284. Early detection and treatment of eye disease can prevent 75% of visual loss cases, but only if people have access to eye care. New Democrats believe that every Canadian has the right to live a full and productive life, and that must include quality eye care. Let us ensure that our public health care system finally covers us from head to toe.

[Majid Jowhari, Liberal, Richmond Hill, ON]

Madam Speaker, I am thankful for this opportunity to discuss Bill C-284, which advocates for a comprehensive strategy to address eye health.

I would like to begin, as my colleague before me did, by thanking my esteemed colleague, the hon. member for Humber River—Black Creek, for the extensive work she has done on this bill.

I might dare to call myself a poster person of someone who has faced eye health care challenges since my early forties. Late detection of glaucoma with a delay in having it addressed caused me to go through a very complicated cataract surgery and then another surgery of the cataracts, so I had two cataract surgeries with two detached retinas back to back, followed by two glaucoma surgeries. Because of the medication, I then had to have a cornea replacement last year. That was all due to the late identification and treatment of the condition of glaucoma in my eyes. Unfortunately, all of them were in my right eye.

I dare to call myself a poster person for this bill, and once again, I thank the hon. member. I also thank the doctors who helped restore my eyesight to the level that it is now so that I can function. I would like to specifically highlight Dr. Amrahdyan, who is my ophthalmologist; Dr. Berger, who is my retina specialist; Dr. Berke, who is my glaucoma specialist; and Dr. Chiu, who is my cornea specialist. They all worked very successfully on restoring the health of my eye.

That is all to say how important eye health is. The key part is about how important it is for it to be part of our overall health. Vision loss can have a massive impact on daily life. I could spend hours talking about the impact it had on me. Two back-to-back detached retinas basically meant that I had to lie flat on my face for 18 weeks, over two nine-week periods, without being able to move. That stopped me from eating something for more than five minutes. The rest of the time I was basically flat on my face, and I could not actively participate in any activity, whether it was work or family events or anything.

It is important for us to make sure we really support this bill and work across the aisle to make sure that it passes to develop the strategy that is needed and embed it into the health care system. As Canada's population ages, the importance of maintaining good eye health and preventing vision loss is imperative. Vision loss can be caused by several common eye diseases, including macular degeneration, cataracts, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy. I am glad to say that I do not have diabetic retinopathy, but I unfortunately have to say that I have suffered through all of the others.

According to a report from Deloitte and the Canadian Council of the Blind, more than eight million Canadians had a common eye disease in 2019 and were at serious risk of losing their vision, as I was. Throughout a person's lifetime, and especially as they age, it is important to maintain good eye health. Routine vision care can help to reduce the risks of blindness and vision loss later in life and improve the outcomes associated with eye diseases such as cataracts and glaucoma. I cannot emphasize how important it is to ensure that everyone has access to an optometrist and an ophthalmologist and they go through routine eye examinations as early as they can.

One's vision does not need to be impaired to see an optometrist or an ophthalmologist. People need to make sure their eyes are healthy and can continue functioning to have a quality life. This is why I am standing in the House today in support of Bill C-284, which would establish a national strategy for eye care to support the prevention and treatment of eye disease to ensure better health outcomes for Canadians.

This bill calls on the Minister of Health to establish a national strategy in consultation with the provinces, territories, experts and indigenous groups. This strategy would allow governments at all levels across Canada to work together to address vision loss. Bill C-284 demonstrates to Canadians that we are all working to better support their eye health through a comprehensive and collaborative approach. A national strategy for eye care contributes to ensuring that Canadians are getting the vision services they need.

The federal government's health portfolio is leading and supporting a range of activities related to eye disease prevention and treatment, in support of health care delivery, which is undertaken by the provinces and territories. I would like to spend a bit of time talking about some of the supports that the federal government is giving the provinces and territories around health care in general. We are hoping that some of them, through the provinces and territories, get directed to eye care.

As we all know, budget 2023 committed close to $200 billion in funding to support our health workforce; reduce backlogs; expand access to family health services, mental health and substance abuse; and modernize our health system. This includes $46.2 billion in new funding to be transferred directly to the provinces and territories through new Canada health transfer measures, as well as tailored bilateral agreements to meet the needs of each province and territory, personal support, work wage support and territorial health investment. As we all know, $25 billion of that is focused on what we call the shared priorities between the provinces and the federal government. My plea to all levels of government, including my own government, is that some of that shared funding be focused on eye health care.

Addressing health workforce shortages and surgical backlogs, including for vision-related surgeries, is a key part of the plan and is a health system priority for this government. I was really fortunate to be able to get immediate support when I went through back-to-back detached retinas. That is considered an emergency. However, I had to wait more than three months to get scheduled for a cornea transplant. I would like to once again thank Dr. Chu for doing such an amazing job in helping to restore my sight.

The Government of Canada recognizes that supporting research is key to a fulsome understanding of eye health, including how to prevent vision loss. The Canadian Institutes of Health Research has supported key vision-related research that has strengthened the evidence base. Health Canada also regulates drugs and medical devices, including those intended for eye diseases and conditions.

Finally, the government fully supports Canada's public health system, which provides coverage for any vision care services that must be performed in a hospital. There are those who have glaucoma and they receive special consideration when they visit a doctor. However, those who do not have it have to pay for the services when they go to their ophthalmologist or optometrist. I am hoping that some of this shared priority focuses on making sure those services are provided as part of the health care system. The efforts to protect Canadians' vision in the long term is something that all members and all Canadians would benefit from and stand behind.

Once again, I wish to thank the hon. member for Humber River—Black Creek for putting forward this bill meaningful bill. I hope that we can all continue to support Bill C-284 to strengthen the work under way across Canada to prevent and treat eye—

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

The member's time is up. I have been trying to signal him.

Resuming debate, the hon. member for Peterborough—Kawartha.