Addressing health care inequities in Canada should be a priority of the federal government, urge Dr. Paul Hébert and CMAJ's editorial writing team in an open letter to the Health Minister, Leona Aglukkaq. While the federal government funds health care through the provinces and territories, its leadership has eroded, with 14 different provincial and territorial health systems that can offer private services and block initiatives without consequences.

The government must lead by enforcing the Canada Health Act and following through on decisions linked to health accords. With major shortages of health professionals, wait times that have not decreased substantially in many jurisdictions and no national catastrophic drug program, there is real opportunity to make a difference for the health of Canadians.

Source
CMAJ