Health Committee on May 14th, 2009

[Judy Wasylycia-Leis, NDP, Winnipeg North, MB]

We would like it tabled so that we can study it and ask appropriate questions.

[Leona Aglukkaq, Conservative, Nunavut, NU]

We can table that, yes.

[Judy Wasylycia-Leis, NDP, Winnipeg North, MB]

All right. I'll proceed with my other questions until I get that information handed out to us in both languages. When requests are made by committee for information and there's a commitment to do so, these are meant to be taken seriously, not laughed at.

[The Vice-Chair, Liberal, Joyce Murray]

Thank you, Mrs. Wasylycia-Leis. This is your 10 minutes.

[Judy Wasylycia-Leis, NDP, Winnipeg North, MB]

Thank you.

Let me start, then, with the question around infrastructure. As it now stands, the infrastructure dollars set aside in this budget for the stimulus package do not include health facilities, either hospitals or wellness clinics, or any other such health facility.

I'm wondering if the minister has made any representations to her colleagues and has accomplished anything to ensure that health facilities might be able to access some of the infrastructure dollars.

[Leona Aglukkaq, Conservative, Nunavut, NU]

Thank you for the question.

The delivery of health care is the responsibility of the provinces and territories. We transferred, on April 1, $24 billion, which was an increase of 6%. Again, the provinces and territories distribute that funding according to their priorities. What's included in our main estimates for Health Canada is infrastructure for our responsibility in the delivery of health care for first nations communities.

[Judy Wasylycia-Leis, NDP, Winnipeg North, MB]

Can I take it that you have not made any representation to the Prime Minister or to your colleagues to help access some of the new infrastructure dollars for health facilities?

Let met ask about other infrastructure. With respect to aboriginal communities, are you prepared to announce today $300 million for a facility to serve the Garden Hill region in Manitoba, which has just experienced the tragedy of a couple of baby deaths? This is a commitment that was made five years ago. I'm wondering if you can make a commitment today to Garden Hill for a facility that will serve about 10,000 people in that region.

[Leona Aglukkaq, Conservative, Nunavut, NU]

To answer your first question, we went forward with infrastructure money. The infrastructure money we had requested, within the responsibility of Health Canada direct delivery of health care, went to first nations health. We received infrastructure money for that. The provinces and jurisdictions receive their health care funding through a transfer payment.

As for Garden Hill, from what I understand, the community is supported by a recently built nursing station that provides a 24/7 service. The services that are currently provided include delivery from licensed practical nurses, regional staff, referrals to provincial hospitals, and transportation. The delivery of health care is there, and the community is supported by a new nursing station.

[Judy Wasylycia-Leis, NDP, Winnipeg North, MB]

For the information of the minister, Garden Hill is served by a nursing station staffed by two full-time nurses and two part-time nurses. A doctor flies up 16 times a month. In view of the baby deaths that have happened, the aboriginal community and the chiefs have indicated to you, Minister, that five years ago it was agreed that there should be a 12-bed hospital built to serve this region, so that some of these deaths might be prevented. Are you prepared to announce today the $300 million facility that was pledged five years ago, which is desperately needed in this region?

[Leona Aglukkaq, Conservative, Nunavut, NU]

With respect to the situation in that community, I'd like to express my sincere sympathy to the family for their loss and for what happened in that community.

With respect to the member's question of whether I'm prepared to make an announcement today, the answer is no, I'm not.

[Judy Wasylycia-Leis, NDP, Winnipeg North, MB]

Thank you.

In regard to what I would consider a core service of the department, which is upholding the Canada Health Act, could you tell me how much money has been spent by your department in the last year investigating possible breaches of the Canada Health Act and evidence of lack of compliance?

Perhaps while you're looking for that answer I'll ask a related question.

Can you tell me if you've investigated the Copeman Clinic in Calgary, which has introduced a significant annual fee for families and is believed to be providing two-tier health care? I'm wondering if you can give us a report on the Copeman Clinic—what your investigations have shown, and how much money you've spent on investigating that clinic.

[Morris Rosenberg]

I'll start with the first question, while we try to see if we have information on the second one. Our total budget this year for the Canada Health Act administration enforcement is $4,217,000.

On the Copeman Clinic, I'm trying to see if we can get the information. If not, I'll get back to you.

[Judy Wasylycia-Leis, NDP, Winnipeg North, MB]

Let me ask about another core service of the department—research in health and innovation. I know that in your speech you tried to suggest that there is additional money for scientific research. However, the cutback to the CIHR is a significant one and presents a serious deterrent to funding innovative research. It flies in the face of everything the Americans are doing to invest in a national institute of health. I'm wondering if you are prepared to match proportionately the Obama new money to NIH with comparable funding to CIHR.

[Leona Aglukkaq, Conservative, Nunavut, NU]

Thank you for the question.

CIHR was increased by $34 million in 2008, and close to $1 billion is now spent in CIHR's research.

[Judy Wasylycia-Leis, NDP, Winnipeg North, MB]

That's with the $180 million cutback in this year's budget, is it not? That's a cutback, it's not an increase. It's not holding the line. It's a cutback at the very time when the world recognizes the need to invest, especially in terms of the areas you've mentioned, Madam Minister, the social determinants of health and well-being that are very much dependent upon money that goes to SSHRC and other institutes, that have been cut back as a result of your decision.

[Leona Aglukkaq, Conservative, Nunavut, NU]

Thank you.

The CIHR research, as part of its strategic review, basically streamlined some of the health research support activities to increase the efficiencies and to also reduce overlap in granting programs. That is my understanding of how we arrived at that particular amount. The objective, overall, as I stated in my opening comments, is to better support the creation of new knowledge and direct research funding, and the efficiency was to look at overlaps in the granting programs.

[Judy Wasylycia-Leis, NDP, Winnipeg North, MB]

But your cuts forced CIHR to end the open team grant program, discontinue the intellectual property mobilization program, and it throws into limbo a whole lot of projects that need funding in the future. So I guess we'd like to hear some time in the future how you intend to support some very important research, especially in the areas of social determinants of ill health.

A final question. I think my time is running out, Madam Chair. Back to infrastructure--

[The Vice-Chair, Liberal, Joyce Murray]

There is a minute and a half left.

[Judy Wasylycia-Leis, NDP, Winnipeg North, MB]

Okay, thank you.

With respect to infrastructure again, and the whole question of the possible pandemic, I have two questions. One, there was originally a commitment to fund a $25 million expansion of the Winnipeg-based Canadian Science Centre for Human and Animal Health. Of course, it's home to the microbiology laboratory. That does not appear to be anywhere in this budget, and I'm wondering what the plans are to do that, because it's so desperately needed.

Related to that, I understand one of the innovative approaches of the lab would be to actually do some investigative work around hospital supplies that wouldn't carry bugs and allow for infections. We have a pandemic of our own right now; one in every nine hospital patients in Canada contracts a health-care-associated infection. Twelve thousand Canadians die every year from that. What is your government doing to address cleaning as a determinant of health-care-associated infections?

[The Vice-Chair, Liberal, Joyce Murray]

Madam Minister, there's about a half a minute, so a short answer, please.

[Dr. David Butler-Jones]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Firstly, as part of the infrastructure money, the lab in Winnipeg is receiving $24 million to address improving our efficiencies, etc. But that's a different line, and I think it addresses what you're questioning.

The second item, with regard to infection control...it's a huge issue. Obviously, it's not only of concern to us, but to the provinces and territories. There has been increasing work with them around how do we actually get at that in a more effective way, including some of the research that we in CIHR and others are doing in terms of what is effective in addressing it. We hope to see more over the next year.

[The Vice-Chair, Liberal, Joyce Murray]

Thank you very much.

Time is up. We'll move on to Mr. Uppal.

[Tim Uppal, Conservative, Edmonton—Sherwood Park, AB]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Minister, for coming. I also want to add my comments to the opposition in commending you and your department in handling the H1N1 situation. I think it really adds to Canadians' confidence in the situation.

Minister, can you tell us what our government has done to improve mental health in Canada?

[Leona Aglukkaq, Conservative, Nunavut, NU]

Thank you for the question.

Our government invested $130 million over two years in 2007 to establish a Mental Health Commission. The commission itself has started to develop some work at a national level. In the 2008 budget, another $110 million was also committed over five years, also to do research projects on mental health and homelessness. Right now, in major urban centres across Canada there are some pilot projects being undertaken, and we are acting on that.

[Tim Uppal, Conservative, Edmonton—Sherwood Park, AB]

Very good.

Minister, what is Health Canada doing to address fetal alcohol spectrum disorder in first nations and Inuit communities?