Healthcare touches every one of us. As a board member of HealthPartners Canada and an active fundraiser through my participation in next month’s TCS Waterfront Marathon, I’m committed to ensuring that our healthcare system works and remains intact for all Canadians. My wife is a dedicated doctor at Markham Stouffville Hospital, and I, as the owner and CEO of Computek College, am dedicated to training personal support workers (PSWs). We work with numerous health networks in the Ajax region to ensure our PSW graduates receive comprehensive training and job placements. From this, I am all too well aware of the gaps and challenges within our healthcare system.
Canada’s universal healthcare system is a source of national pride. It’s one of the key draws for those looking to make Canada their home. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed and exacerbated long-standing weaknesses. The strain on healthcare infrastructure has only grown worse. With my own parents, who are aging and immigrants to Canada, I have experienced first-hand the challenges of navigating a system that, despite its strengths, is underfunded, overstretched, and struggling to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse population.
The article “Why Aren’t Dementia Patients Getting The Culturally Competent Care They Need?” published in our inaugural issue of 3 magazine really struck a chord with me. The statistics are alarming—by 2050, a quarter of dementia patients in Canada are expected to be of Asian descent, yet culturally competent care is sorely lacking. In a country as multicultural as ours, it’s imperative that our healthcare system reflects the diversity of its patients. The term “culturally competent care” isn’t just a buzzword; it’s an essential shift in how we need to approach healthcare in Canada. When patients don’t see themselves in their caregivers or feel their cultural values aren’t understood, it leads to miscommunication, frustration, and worse outcomes.
At the heart of this issue is the need to better integrate newcomers into our healthcare workforce. Many immigrants to Canada arrive with valuable healthcare experience and credentials yet face insurmountable barriers to practicing in their fields. While Canada’s educational and credential standards are appropriately rigorous, we need to find ways to streamline the accreditation process for internationally trained healthcare professionals. The current system often places highly skilled professionals in jobs far beneath their expertise at a time when we are facing critical shortages across the healthcare sector.
This is why it’s crucial that both government and healthcare institutions prioritize policies that support the hiring of newcomers with healthcare backgrounds. Not only would this help alleviate labour shortages, but it would also bring the culturally diverse perspectives needed to provide more holistic, patient-centred care. The failure to address these issues now will only deepen the cracks in our healthcare system, which is already showing immense signs of strain.
Our universal healthcare system is one of the most defining aspects of being Canadian. But if we want to preserve it, we need to be proactive. That means investing in areas that matter—whether it’s ensuring PSWs are adequately trained and placed or enacting policies that welcome highly skilled newcomers into our healthcare system. It’s not just about filling vacancies; it’s about ensuring that all Canadians, regardless of their cultural background, receive the care they deserve.
We can’t afford to wait any longer—our healthcare system is nearing a breaking point. Canada is home to a wealth of skilled newcomers, and we have the potential to stabilize and elevate our healthcare system to ensure culturally competent care. However, this can only happen if we act with urgency. We must implement the right policies and make targeted investments where they are most needed. The time to act is now before the cracks in our system deepen beyond repair.
If you’re looking for a way to make a meaningful impact on Canada’s healthcare system, I invite you to support my efforts as I raise funds for HealthPartners Canada through the TCS Charity Challenge in the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon – I will be running on October 20. Every donation, no matter the size, is deeply appreciated and will go a long way in helping to strengthen our universal healthcare system. All donations can be made through the link here – Your generosity can truly make a difference, and I thank you all for your support!
