Mr. Speaker, World Health Day is April 7, and despite Canada having the world's eighth highest per capita expenditures on health care, our system ranks 26th in the world in performance. This is leaving Canadians without treatment for months and even years, in pain, suffering and getting sicker. This is a national disgrace.
However, the Canadian Medical Association has done a remarkable groundbreaking assessment that concludes that Canada should look east to Europe where costs are less, yet patients enjoy 17 the top 20 health care systems in the world. Most Europeans have universal coverage in mixed systems. They do not wait. They have timely access to quality care, and even expanded coverage for drugs and long-term care, all at a lower cost.
World Health Day should jolt Parliament to put health care back on the agenda and compel us to look to Europe to adopt their best solutions to ensure that every Canadian will have timely access to quality care when they fall ill.