Evidence of meeting #3 for Health in the 40th Parliament, 2nd session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was million.
A recording is available from Parliament.
NDP
Judy Wasylycia-Leis NDP Winnipeg North, MB
This will be my last question, because my time is running—
Conservative
NDP
Conservative
Patrick Brown Conservative Barrie, ON
Thank you, Madam Chair.
I have two questions I'd like to ask the department officials today.
First, to build upon what Mr. Uppal was raising in regard to foreign accreditation, I've met a number of foreign doctors in my riding who have explained to me the difficulties in the process, and I'm pleased to hear that there's enthusiasm and interest in addressing the problem.
One aspect of the problem that I've been alerted to is the cost of equivalency exams. I know of a couple, Kizi and Sokol Mberry, doctors from eastern Europe, who had four kids and were working minimum wage to pay for their equivalency exams. They said the books and exams would cost them $2,000 apiece.
Are there any discussions with the respective provincial bodies about how we can reduce the stigma associated with these costs at a time when new doctors do not have a supply of funds available?
My second question has to do with electronic health records. In the 2006 budget there was an incredible commitment to electronic health records, and more recently there's been an even stronger commitment. I was talking to the CEO of my local hospital, Royal Victoria, and they mentioned that in other provinces some of these funds are trickled down. But in Ontario it appears that it has not trickled down to a hospital level.
Are there any measurements being done to show how electronic health records are being disbursed? Are any provinces needing more of a nudge to get moving on it?
Conservative
Deputy Minister, Department of Health
Thank you, Madam Chair.
I'll start with the electronic health records first.
As you are aware, there was an additional investment in Canada Health Infoway in this year's budget. Canada Health Infoway is, I would say, a very prudently managed enterprise and will release money as they have assurances that projects meet a strict set of criteria. Not everybody started at the same time. I think Ontario may have gotten off to a bit of a slow start on this. We have some variability in the country. It's not an even raising; not all boats are going up at the same time. We recognize that, so Infoway, which is an arm's-length organization, will consider the pace at which the health record has been implemented across the country and you may see some differentiation, as there has been up until now, in the next round of disbursements. But that will really be up to Infoway, working with the jurisdictions, based on the soundness of the projects that are put forward.
With respect to medical professionals and barriers to entry for foreign-trained professionals, this is a concern that I think we're looking at in two ways. We have, through the internationally educated health professionals initiative, supported work with the provinces, territories, and stakeholders to facilitate the integration of medical graduates. There have been a number of initiatives that include a central pathfinding website for international medical graduates so that they can have one stop to understand what the opportunities are, the ongoing development of a harmonized national assessment of the international medical graduate process, and a faculty development program being developed to better prepare physician teachers to work with international medical graduates.
The point you raised is not one that we've specifically dealt with. It is an important point and it's one that I will undertake to raise with the committee of federal, provincial, and territorial officials that is looking at this.
There's also work going on under the auspices of Human Resources and Skills Development Canada to try to harmonize requirements across the country. It's work that very much dovetails with the work we've been doing on international medical graduates, and that's another forum in which to raise the issues of reducing, as much as possible, barriers to mobility both within Canada and for people coming into Canada.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joy Smith
Thank you very much, Mr. Rosenberg.
That brings us to the end of our time for this line of questioning. I want to thank the panel for coming in today and giving us your most insightful information. Thank you for that.
Ms. Wasylycia-Leis.
NDP
Judy Wasylycia-Leis NDP Winnipeg North, MB
Since we had such a short time with the officials, could we have them back on Thursday, please?
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joy Smith
We have an agenda for Thursday. I'll just go over that.
What's going to happen on Thursday is we have witnesses who are coming in from Assisted Human Reproduction Canada. We have the Canadian Institutes of Health Research; we have the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board witnesses; and we have the Hazardous Materials Information Review Commission. On top of that, at the end of the day, I do need to call the committee for 15 minutes for its advice on some very important business that's coming up.
NDP
Judy Wasylycia-Leis NDP Winnipeg North, MB
Could I just make the suggestion that at next Thursday's meeting we divide the time between these officials for one hour and the others for the next hour and we find another time for the committee to discuss other business? Perhaps you could call the steering committee.
Given the fact that this is estimates--we're dealing with a huge budget, big changes--I certainly don't feel comfortable moving on approval for estimates until we have an appropriate amount of time to deal with them.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joy Smith
As you know, Ms. Wasylycia-Leis, that is at the will of the committee, so we will have that open for discussion at this time, depending on whatever the will of the committee is.
Can we have this open for discussion?
Conservative
Colin Carrie Conservative Oshawa, ON
If the committee would like to further investigate, I think it actually is a good idea that we do that.
Conservative
Liberal
Carolyn Bennett Liberal St. Paul's, ON
Because it is difficult for members to get their questions in, in terms of the rounds, I don't know about the availability of Dr. Butler-Jones and Mr. Rosenberg, but it would be fine with me if they were all at the table at the same time and the members could pick and choose whether their question was for CIHR or for the department or the Public Health Agency.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joy Smith
That wouldn't work. There are a lot of witnesses coming in. I don't think they all could be here at the very same time. Seven people would be sitting, over and above these three of ten.
Liberal
Carolyn Bennett Liberal St. Paul's, ON
But unlike other panels, this is the estimates, so your question tends to be for one person. You're not asking all seven people to answer all your questions. It's a question to the CIHR or it's a question to the Public Health Agency.
Bloc
Luc Malo Bloc Verchères—Les Patriotes, QC
I just wanted to draw the committee's attention to the fact that when answering my questions today, the witnesses asked me to wait until next Thursday. Even you, Madam Chair, asked me to wait until we have the appropriate witnesses on Thursday.
If, during the meeting, I do not have the opportunity to ask questions of the witnesses who can best answer them, then I have a problem. If the agencies responsible for the issues I raised today appear before the committee, I want to be able to hear the witnesses during all the time allotted to the question period.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joy Smith
Is there any other discussion around the table about this?
Dr. Butler-Jones.
Chief Public Health Officer, Public Health Agency of Canada
I'm sorry. Morris Rosenberg and I have a conflict on Thursday because there is a deputy ministers' retreat, so that would be a challenge for us in terms of our presence here.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joy Smith
That is very useful information that you can't make it on Thursday.
Are there any other comments?
I think what we need to do, then, is have a discussion on this.
Perhaps we can bring you back at a time when it's convenient for you.
I know that Thursday has a pretty full agenda, yet some very good comments have been made around the table today. We will continue on as we were going to do on Thursday and we'll have that discussion at the next meeting.
Thank you again. The meeting is adjourned.