Demonstrators with painted faces marked Day of the Dead with a protest against changes to health-care coverage for refugees that came into effect earlier this year.

Vancouver demonstrators mourn cuts to refugee health care at Day of the Dead vigil
Demonstrators with painted faces marked Day of the Dead with a protest against changes to health-care coverage for refugees that came into effect earlier this year.
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By Yolande Cole, November 2, 2012

Demonstrators carrying candles and placards walked through Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside Thursday (November 1) in continued protest of cuts to a federal health program for refugees.

The candlelight vigil was timed to coincide with the Latin American holiday Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead. Protestors, some with their faces painted to mark the tradition, said the march was meant to signify the “death” of the former version of Canada’s Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP).

Tom Warren, an organizer with the grassroots group Sanctuary Health, referred to IFHP as a “zombie program”, following recent changes to the health-care coverage that was extended to refugees.

“Right now it exists for government-assisted refugees,” he said in an interview on East Hastings Street. “That’s a very small portion of the total number of people who make refugee claims in Canada. Everyone else is still left out in the cold in various forms.”

In June, the federal government announced changes to the program, which provides temporary coverage of health-care costs to refugees and refugee claimants who are not eligible for provincial health plans.

Describing the reform as a measure intended to discourage unfounded refugee claims, the federal government made cuts to supplemental health benefits that initially appeared to affect all categories of refugees. They later stated that government-assisted refugees will continue to receive expanded health-care coverage.

Other groups, such as most privately sponsored refugees and refugee claimants who are waiting for their claim to be processed, will receive coverage for services of an urgent or essential nature, and will have prescriptions covered only if they are being treated for a condition posing a risk to public safety.

According to members of Sanctuary Health, the cuts mean many refugees are still unable to access medications, as well as services such as prenatal care and lab testing.

“In a lot of cases, for illnesses such as HIV for example, we have to go to the clinic and get diagnostic exams and lab results,” registered nurse Natalie Blair said in an interview. “People aren’t being able to access that, and so they don’t know what care they need.”

She added that some people affected by the cuts have been too afraid to go to a clinic to access services.

“People are in the community suffering and are not even seeking assistance to know what they are able to get help for,” she said. “I think that’s one of the biggest issues here is misinformation to health-care workers, as well as to the people that are being affected by the health-care cuts.”

Organizers with the group said they plan to hold further vigils to draw attention to the changes to the federal health program.

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Article posted in Immigration, Refugees
  • johnnycanuck

    What the hell are people doing celebrating a day of the dead? These Latino aholes are taking over the states and now are trying to take over here too? WTF? and Whay are people saying they are afraid to attend at a clinic to see if they are eligible for some health care for whatever illness they have? Why are they afraid? The worst thing that could happen is being told they are not eligible. They’re not going to be shot for it or arrested are they? They and their supporters are sniveling. Refugees must pay for their own meds same as the rest of us if not covered.Simple. They are not a privileged class of Canadians. If the church sponsored them–the church should pay for all their medical needs.If some public refugee service group is sponsoring them, then that group should fund the medical care.Simple. We do not allow you to foist your medical problems on the average Canadian taxpayer . You guys have more freebies than any Canadian would be allowed so stop your sniveling.Your a drain on our taxes and you always will be until you start paying your own way . I know this is harsh but life here is still a 100 times better than where you came from. Show some gratitude and stop manipulating your do gooder friends to participate in protests on your behalf and get your asses to some work.Celebrating the day of the dead—-indeed!—-You should all be dropped into the deep blue sea you bunch of ingrates!