HEALTH The Chamber believes that it is the responsibility of the provincial government to provide adequate programs for the prevention and treatment of disease and trauma-related illnesses or disabilities, within a balanced provincial budget. To this end, The Chamber supports the provincial government in its attempts to maintain a realistic level of funding, and to streamline services within the Ministry of Health while continuing to improve the quality of health care.
The Chamber strongly supports the continued independence of the self-governing licensing bodies of the health profession within the appropriate Acts of the Legislature.
The Chamber believes that:
Policy
• To ensure the optimum utilization of health care funding, the provincial government must develop a 10-year and longer range plan for the efficient delivery of health care services throughout the province. Such a model can be adjusted to reflect budgetary considerations.
• The provincial government must actively encourage cooperation between Regional Health Authorities, community and government agencies and between ministries to ensure better health care delivery through coordination, integration, and elimination of duplicated services.
• The provincial government should increase the promotion of health-related research including holistic health issues so that BC can continue to contribute effectively to medical progress.
Finance
• The provincial government should continue to negotiate with the federal government to implement an equitable cost sharing health care system in this province.
Education • The provincial government should continue to emphasize the responsibility of the individual regarding lifestyle, especially in the area of sexual practices, nutrition, exercise, accident prevention, and habitual use of alcohol, drugs and tobacco.
• The provincial government should integrate programs of public education which demonstrate to the individual the benefits that accrue as the result of good health habits.
