Category: Health System

Big Pharma Owns Congress, Says Former Congresswoman

The COVID-19 pandemic has woken Americans up to a stark truth: Our health system doesn’t always have our best interests at heart. And worse, the same is true for most of our elected officials in Congress, who are lobbied extensively by big pharma. The one institution designed to protect Americans from predatory drug companies is…


[PREMIERING NOW] Big Pharma Owns Congress, Says Former Congresswoman

The COVID-19 pandemic has woken Americans up to a stark truth: Our health system doesn’t always have our best interests at heart. And worse, the same is true for most of our elected officials in Congress, who are lobbied extensively by big pharma. The one institution designed to protect Americans from predatory drug companies is…


‘Problem for All Health Ministers’: Australia’s Peak Medical Body Calls for Urgent Public System Overhaul

The Australian Medical Association (AMA) has called for an urgent overhaul of the nation’s public health system following a report that found hospital performance to be at its lowest level since the 90s. Bed availability, emergency wait times, “planned” surgery wait times and access to specialists in the public health system were among the performance…


Alberta Begins Health System Reform Despite ‘Disappointment’ With Federal Funding Plan: Smith

Alberta’s premier says the province has begun reforming its health system despite being disappointed with the $196 billion health fund that the federal government has pledged to the provinces and territories over the next 10 years. “Obviously, the premiers were somewhat disappointed with the amount of new funding announced for health care,” Danielle Smith told…


Another Woman Dies After Extended ER Wait Time, Family Calls for Health System Reform

Another Nova Scotia woman has died after waiting for hours at an emergency room before she gave up and left. Now her family is gathering stories of similar cases to push for a change in the province’s health care system. “I was sad. But now? Now I’m mad,” said Katherine Snow on Nova Scotia Healthcare Crisis,…


Another NS Woman Dies After Extended ER Wait Time, Family Calls for Health System Reform

Another Nova Scotia woman has died after waiting for hours at an emergency room before she gave up and left. Now her family is gathering stories of similar cases to push for a change in the province’s health care system. “I was sad. But now? Now I’m mad,” said Katherine Snow on Nova Scotia Healthcare Crisis,…


Regulatory Capture in the Age of Covid

Our healthcare system is broken, a fact nobody would have disputed in pre-COVID times. Regulatory capture is a reality, and the pharmaceutical industry is fraught with examples. Yet we trusted private-public partnerships to find an optimal solution to a global pandemic, assuming a crisis would bring out the best in historically corrupt institutions. Here is…


South Australian Premier Responds to Opposition’s Plan to Fix Hospital Ramping

With a state election looming, South Australian (SA) Premier Steven Marshall has released a list of hospital upgrades underway or already completed, in response to the opposition’s health plan, which was revealed on Sunday and aims to address the ramping crisis. In a social media post on Monday, Marshall revealed seven projects worth around $2.9…


Health Staff Shortages Cause Medical Clinic Closures in the Northern Territory, Australia

Just as the Northern Territory borders open and cases of COVID-19 grow to 123, a number of Territory clinics will be closing down for the Christmas holiday period. In a social media post on Monday evening, Country Liberal Party (CLP) Shadow Health Minister Bill Yan said that “ongoing staff shortages and crippling pressure on the…


Quebec Offers Bonuses up to $18,000 to Keep Nurses in Struggling Health System

Quebec is offering up to $18,000 in bonuses for full-time nurses to prevent more of them from quitting the province’s struggling healthcare system. Premier François Legault told reporters today he is launching a “mini revolution” in the health network following months of pandemic-induced stresses that have contributed to a shortage of 4,300 nurses in the…