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Press Releases: Emergency Responders All Tied Up in Red TapePosted on Thursday, September 15 @ 06:45:31 CDT by capebretoner
SASKATOON – Carol Skelton, MP, Official Opposition Critic for Public Health and former emergency Red Cross Family Services Officer, today demanded that the federal government better prepare for a future disaster by removing jurisdictional red tape that prevents doctors and nurses from delivering emergency aid across provincial borders.
“This week, Canadians were shocked to find out that Canadian Forces doctors can’t even hand out common headache medications to sick or suffering Americans because they are not licensed to practice in Louisiana. CNN viewers were even more shocked to find out, out-of-State doctors were prevented from treating the injured until paperwork allowing them to work in Louisiana was approved, but an emergency in Canada would be no different,” warned Skelton.
“We have known for a long time that medical staff, licensed by each province, will not be allowed to cross provincial borders, even in an emergency. This problem is known, but the federal government has done nothing to cut the red tape in advance of a disaster. Should a major disaster or terrorist attack occur in Ottawa, for example, Quebec doctors and nurses would be left standing helpless, less than a kilometer away, in Gatineau. The federal government must work with the provinces to cut the red tape to allow cross-jurisdictional assistance in a declared emergency. It's common sense and it's time it was common practice,” demanded Skelton.
“I’ve seen disaster confusion first-hand and I know how crippling bureaucratic red tape can be in an emergency situation. It can cost lives,” warned Skelton who was a Family Services Officer with the Canadian Red Cross during massive flooding in Nebraska, Mississippi and Manitoba.
On July 21, 2003, the Canadian Medical Association’s technical submission to the Naylor Commission (investigating the handling of the Ontario SARS crisis) noted that there needed to be “sufficient human resources” during an emergency and called on the government to “prepare and coordinate a pan-Canadian plan for the deployment of personnel during health emergencies.” Their submission went on to recommend the government, “co-ordinate the logistics of issues such as portable licensing, malpractice and disability insurance.”
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