Released on November 28, 2006
Working in partnership with Aboriginal people is key to finding solutions for Aboriginal health issues, Premier Lorne Calvert told the National Working Meeting on Aboriginal Health in Vancouver.To illustrate the importance of partnership, Calvert attended the Working Meeting with a delegation that included three Aboriginal people outside government: Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations (FSIN) Chief Lawrence Joseph, Margaret Whiteknife of the Northern Inter-Tribal Health Authority and Joyce Racette from the Regina Qu'Appelle Health Region.
Calvert and Joseph agreed that Saskatchewan's progress is an example of what can be accomplished through partnership. They urged the federal government to partner with the provinces and Aboriginal people and move to improve health care outcomes for Aboriginal people, which are significantly worse than the rest of the population.
Calvert noted that Saskatchewan has been a national leader when it comes to addressing a number of Aboriginal health issues, especially with regard to recruitment and retention.
"The Saskatchewan government is committed to the full participation of Aboriginal people in all health occupations," Calvert said. "It's a commitment we made in Saskatchewan Health's Workforce Action Plan. Saskatchewan is home to a growing, young Aboriginal population and we believe it is important for our health workforce to represent the population it serves."
"The FSIN is encouraged by Premier Calvert's promise to ensure a more representative workforce," Joseph said. "We are here to find a new way of doing business with both the provincial and federal governments. We must address the disparities that have led to Canada's two-tiered health system: one for First Nations on-reserve and one for the rest of Canada. The First Nations health system is facing the biggest crisis in its history and to meet this crisis, huge investments on the scale of those proposed in the Kelowna Accord must be made by the federal government."
Some of Saskatchewan's accomplishments include:
• The establishment of a practical nursing education program at Kawakatoose First Nation, in partnership with SIAST, the FSIN and the federal government;
• Attracting Aboriginal health employees through the use of bursaries – 23 per cent of all nursing bursaries last year were awarded to Aboriginal students;
• Supporting education initiatives for Aboriginal students preparing for health careers, including career counseling, job fairs, nursing access programs, and funding for the Northern Health Science Access Program and Northern Nursing Education Program; and
• Providing representative workforce training to health regions, which create a welcoming environment for Aboriginal people by building awareness and eliminating misconceptions.
While these initiatives are examples of the leadership role taken by Saskatchewan, much more work needs to be done to improve health care for Aboriginal people, and it will take the combined efforts of federal, provincial and Aboriginal leaders.
The November 27-28 National Working Meeting on Aboriginal Health brought together four Premiers, the federal Minister of Health, numerous provincial-territorial ministers, Aboriginal leaders and Aboriginal health practitioners.
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For More Information, Contact:
| Jay Branch Media Services Vancouver Cell: 306-539-3994 | Bonny Braden FSIN Saskatoon Phone: 306-956-1026 Cell: 306-260-4706 |