NP Vanessa Wright on 3rd-World Healthcare in Canada

The first few months after a refugee arrives in Canada are perhaps when he or she will need health care the most

Until the recent changes, refugees had healthcare coverage while their claims were being processed. Healthcare providers weren’t asked to police refugee claimants depending on their country of origin or to determine who is eligible for care. People fleeing areas of violence and torture could arrive on our shores and be taken care of.

Now, our policy is to use health care as a way to deter refugees from coming to Canada.
Many of the refugees I care for have suffered deeply. Some have endured rape, torture and maiming. Many have lost their family and have no possessions. The first few months after a refugee arrives in Canada are perhaps the months in which they will need health care the most — for many, it may be the first proper health care they’ve ever received.

Thanks to the changes, however, more and more Canadian clinics are refusing to treat refugees. The situation has become so dire that patients must seek care in volunteer-driven health clinics that provide free consultations and care. Many doctors and nurses who worked overseas with MSF have started volunteering at local Canadian clinics for the uninsured or for refugees, in order to fill the health gap.