Health Sciences Association urges BC Liberals to keep their promises

The Health Sciences Association will launch a print advertising and web-based campaign tomorrow to encourage British Columbians to speak up for health care.

The ads, to run in newspapers throughout the province, call on Premier Gordon Campbell and the Liberals to keep their promises on health care. From the web site at www.speakoutforhealth.bc.ca, visitors can send an e-mail to their MLA, Premier Gordon Campbell and Health Minister Colin Hansen calling on them to keep their promise to deliver health care where and when British Columbians need it.

"For months, the Liberals have been bombarding us with advertising talking about the state of health care. Charts and graphs are supposed to convince British Columbians that they haven't lost services," said HSA President Cindy Stewart.

"British Columbians know better. They know that services they used to rely on in their community aren't there anymore. They know they have to travel. They know they're paying more for services the government has taken out of the Medical Services Plan. They know that the health care professionals they count on for their health are under strain to maintain the high quality of service they are trained to deliver."

"It's time for the government to hear from British Columbians what's happening to services in the health care system," Stewart said.

Stewart said HSA members working around the province have been warning that restructuring and budget pressures are affecting the health care system.

"Health science professionals are dedicated to providing good health care. Our top priority is quality patient care. Government needs to do its part help develop an environment that allows health care professionals to provide the service British Columbians deserve," she said.

The Health Sciences Association of BC is a union representing 14,000 workers in health care, community health and community social services.