Native Health System Advocate Shrugs Off Criticism

Native Health System Advocate Shrugs Off Criticism

Tuesday, July 29, 2008 at 14:22

FSIN Senator Sol Sanderson says First Nations will go ahead with plans for a traditional Aboriginal health care system despite an editorial in the Saskatoon Star-Phoenix that opposes the concept.

During last week’s Medicine Chest Gathering at the Thunderchild First Nation, several chiefs agreed to press for their own health care system.

Yesterday’s editorial in the paper called the idea of a parallel health system for Native people “foolhardy at best”.

Sanderson is dismissing the opposition to the plan, but is not surprised by it.

He says the same sort of argument was being made when First Nations started developing their own education system.

According to Sanderson, a traditional Aboriginal system would improve health care for all citizens — because it would eventually lead to more hospitals.

Sanderson has been appointed to head a task force to examine how to set up that system.