Mr. Speaker, I was quite interested to listen to the member, a fellow Nova Scotian, who spoke about some of the health care problems which we experience in the province of Nova Scotia. He certainly outlined many of them well.
He spoke about the waiting lists in hospitals and delays because of the lack of funding in the health care system. Those illustrations support the motion we put forward because we are suggesting that public funds not be allowed to move out into the private realm and the for profit hospitals. Public funds should be maintained within the public system. We should strengthen, maintain and keep this system of publicly funded health care.
I would be interested in hearing the hon. member's views on another aspect of health care which is very important to this entire picture of the health care system. That is the issue of pharmacare, one thing which we feel is very important.
I have witnessed it in my province and many seniors have spoken to me that quite often they need certain medications but cannot afford them because of their fixed incomes. Sometimes they either go without their medication or stretch it out in a way that is unrealistic according to how it has been prescribed. If they are supposed to take it three times a day, perhaps they will end up taking it once a week. They figure they can make the prescriptions last longer because they just cannot afford their medication.
I am wondering if the hon. member has any comments on that aspect of the health care system. There is a need for the government to put funding into a national pharmacare system to aid our seniors who have given so much of their lives to our communities. It is time that we helped them.
In particular, in our province the provincial government has moved to the extent that it costs the seniors more for their pharmacare program. It has increased the amount that the seniors have to contribute to the program.
Would the hon. member comment on that aspect of the health care system?