Note from the NB Green Party
We have probably all heard the saying ” an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”. This doubly applies to our health and consequently our health care system. The need to reduce the amount of tax dollars spent on health care in this Province, along with the Government’s actions to achieve this goal, is constantly in the news. There is no simple solution, but should we not look at the reasons people access the health care system as well as trying to find efficiencies within the system?
There in another saying which goes “you are what you eat”. A study funded by the Center for Disease Control found that in the US over 9% of annual medical costs can be attributed to treating diseases caused by obesity. According to Statistics Canada, the obesity rates in NB are among the highest in Canada. Dealing with this situation requires a many pronged approach. Things like literacy, education and poverty need to be addressed. The vast majority of products in the grocery stores are food like substances (processed foods). We need to be able to read and understand what makes up these products and their effect on our health. As a speaker at a healthy eating conference said , if there are more than three ingredients or you can’t pronounce the words, don’t buy it. Cooking from scratch seems to be a lost art. People need to rediscover the joy of sharing a meal that was prepared at home and not in some far away factory or lab.
Exposure to air pollution and work place chemicals is another reason why people access the health care system. The Conservation Council of NB study found a strong association between these exposures and certain types of cancers in NB which are among the highest in Canada. The Ontario Medical Association found that approximately 25% of the health care budget was directly or indirectly linked to air pollution.
A Green Government would deal with the inefficiencies within the health care system by putting in legislation and procedures to: (1) handle the accountability of all involved from the Minister on down (2) expand home care services where applicable to minimize hospital and nursing home admissions, and (3) work with various medical professionals to devise a plan to reduce the over prescribing of drugs. A Green Government would also invest in programs and infrastructure aimed at improving healthy lifestyle choices for all citizens of New Brunswick and strengthen pollution regulations and enforcement.
Wayne Sabine
President
New Brunswick Green Party,
Victoria- Tobique Riding Association
