As child ICU beds overflow, New Democrats demand Liberals show up to fix health-care crisis

The Leader of Canada’s NDP Jagmeet Singh made the following statement:

“As pediatric beds overflow with sick children, parents are terrified and our frontline health-care workers are burnt out. Health-care workers in hospitals across the country are struggling more than ever to manage the influx of patients while parents are waiting longer than ever for care for their sick children.

Hospitals are cancelling all non-urgent surgeries, staff are being redeployed to emergency departments and ICUs, and some hospitals are having to tell parents there are no beds left for their sick kids. After two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, our health-care workers deserve respect and should have the resources necessary to do their job. And with the proper resources, parents wouldn’t currently be living in fear of their children getting sick. 

As Prime Minister, I would sit down with the provinces and territories, and not leave until we find a solution to ensure our children have the care they need. The federal government has a responsibility to make sure our health-care system is there when Canadians need it and our health-care workers have the pay, respect and support they deserve. 

Our health-care system is in a state of crisis: families, and worse, kids, are unable to get the help they need. Families can’t afford to wait as Conservative premiers and the Liberal government keeping passing the blame to eachother. They need us to act, and act now. New Democrats won’t stop fighting until we fix this crisis in our children’s hospitals, so health-care workers, families and children have the respect and the care they deserve.”

Ontario NDP