Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mr. Lee, in September, you wrote a press release entitled "30 Years of Chronic Underinvestment has Created a ‘Perfect Storm’ in Long-Term Care". Some of my colleagues may think I suggested the title to you, but I can assure them we haven't met until today.
Many people have come and told us that all the pandemic has done is reveal the weak links in the health system and shed light on the vulnerabilities that chronic underinvestment in recent decades has caused in it.
Before returning to that point, I would first like to discuss the mission of the long-term care centres, the CHSLDs, and the role of families, particularly during a pandemic. In discussing a long-term care centre, we're talking about both a care centre and a living centre.
The living centre part concerns families, first and foremost. Over the years, responsibility for patients has been transferred to their families. As for the care aspect, that's provided by professionals. Families have been excluded during the pandemic as a result of a lack of personal protective equipment. That wasn't desirable, but it had to be done. If my understanding is correct, today you're saying we have to find other ways to ensure this separation doesn't occur. We have more resources with which to secure the CHSLDs, and we also have communication infrastructure that precludes our ever having to sever this family connection, which is necessary for the mental health of the patients as they approach the end of their lives. Lord knows the mental health of patients is essential in keeping them in good health.
Is that in fact what you said? Could you tell us more about those resources? Do you think the contribution of families should absolutely be preserved in the event of another pandemic?