FSIN Unhappy With Patient-First Review

FSIN Unhappy With Patient-First Review

Friday, February 13, 2009 at 14:43

A Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations vice-chief says he has deep concerns with how a health care review is being carried out.

The provincial government is looking at the type of care patients receive all across Saskatchewan.

Vice-Chief Glen Pratt says First Nations health care is being lumped in with everything else — and he worries the people carrying out the report won’t see the unique challenges patients on reserves currently face.

He is particularly concerned the current plan includes getting an Aboriginal committee to respond on behalf of all First Nations people in Saskatchewan.

Pratt says the patient-first review must also focus on challenges faced in isolated reserves, such as the ones in Saskatchewan’s far north.

Pratt acknowledges First Nations health care is covered under the federal government — but he notes the province is the service-delivery arm for that care.

He says he doesn’t know how the report can be compiled accurately unless a “strong First Nations component” is included in the review.