Philpott urges doctors to help improve health of most vulnerable patient groups
QUEBEC — Federal Health Minister Jane Philpott says Canada’s doctors have a major role to play in improving the health of the country’s most vulnerable populations, including those at risk for a fatal overdose due to rampant opioid use and abuse, a crisis she characterized as a national public health emergency.
In a speech Monday to delegates attending the annual meeting of the Canadian Medical Association in Quebec City, Philpott said any approach to the crisis needs to be comprehensive and collaborative.
“Doctors have a huge role, including promoting awareness that social inequity and unresolved trauma are often at the root of high-risk drug use. This includes homelessness, poverty, violence and sexual abuse,” she said.
“Addiction is not a crime, nor a mark of moral failure. It is a health issue … people who use drugs are people who do not need judgment. They need what all Canadians expect from health systems — that is, compassionate care.”