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YMA Disappointed With Health Minister Announcement

Tuesday, 18 August 2020 11:48

"The doctors of Yukon are very concerned about the announcement to accept all 76 recommendations contained in the report without properly consulting first with the Yukon Medical Association." Acting YMA President Dr. Ryan Warshawski

The (YMA) has written to Health and Social Services Minister Pauline Frost to express surprise and disappointment with the minister's news conference last Friday concerning the Putting People First expert panel report on reforming health care in the territory.

Acting YMA President Dr. Ryan Warshawski said in a statement, "The doctors of Yukon are very concerned about the announcement to accept all 76 recommendations contained in the report without properly consulting first with the Yukon Medical Association.

Many of these recommendations will have a direct impact on the lives and livelihoods of all Yukoners, not just doctors, and we have not yet had a chance to discuss the implications of the report with the government."

Minister of Health and Social Services, Pauline Frost said in an interview Friday morning last week that the Yukon Medical Association has had its input into the report and that the government was working hard to ensure no one was left behind..

Putting People First: The final report of the comprehensive review of Yukon's health and social programs and services was released in May. The YMA received no advance notification of last Friday's news conference despite the fact that a newly constituted joint committee between the YMA and government officials had met just days before.

The YMA notes that it has a longstanding positive relationship with the Yukon government but that this can only be maintained if there is trust and open communications between both sides.

Despite the pre-emptive nature of the government's announcement, the YMA remains committed to working with the Ministry of Health and Social Services to implement the expert panel report in a way that best serves patients, families and caregivers as well as physicians.

"Experiences elsewhere in Canada have demonstrated that effective primary care reform - the core element of the expert panel proposals - is only achieved if the medical association and frontline physicians are closely involved in the process," said Dr. Warshawski.

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