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abortion,10 pharmaceuticals,11 mental health care,12 and substance
dependence programs.13 Perhaps most egregiously, the failed promise
of equal access to care is reflected in the massive death toll in long-
term care.14 While we expect, and domestic and international human
rights demand, that care be available based on need, COVID-19 has
laid bare the reality that barriers continue to exist as a function of
who patients are and where they are being treated. Focussing on the
unfolding tragedy in long-term care, I will argue that governments
and health care decision makers must recognize that access to a com-
prehensive range of care is a fundamental right, and that human
rights-based accountability is urgently needed in the battle against
COVID-19, and beyond.
COVID-19 and Long-term Care
In 2018–2019 there were 191,835 long-term care residents in 1,319 facil-
ities in Canada, outside Quebec.15 Their average age was 83, and over
two thirds were women.16 Over 70% had heart/circulation diseases;
over half, musculoskeletal diseases; and over two thirds, neurological
diseases, including dementia.17 Like hospitals, long-term care facilities
10. Laura Osman, “Advocates Sound Alarm Over COVID-19 Limiting Access to
Contraceptives, Abortion”, Globe and Mail (2 April 2020), online: <www.theglo-
beandmail.com/canada/article-advocates-sound-alarm-over-covid-19-limiting-
access-to-contraceptives/>.
11. Jan Malek, “COVID-19 Shows that Pharmacare is Needed Now” (24 April 2020),
online: Council of Canadians <canadians.org/analysis/covid-19-shows-pharmacare-
needed-now>.
12. Kathleen Finlay, “So Far, Canada’s Answer to COVID-19 Mental Health Crisis
Doesn’t Measure up”, OttawaÂ
Citizen (30 April 2020), online: <ottawacitizen.com/
opinion/finlay-so-far-canadas-answer-to-covid-19-mental-health-crisis-doesnt-
measure-up/>.
13. Raina Delisle, “It’s a Risky Time for People with Substance Use Issues”, TheÂ
Tyee
(14 April 2020), online: <thetyee.ca/News/2020/04/14/How-A-Pandemic-Affects-
Substance-Use/>; Jeff Turnbull, Vern White & Mathieu Fleury, “Treat Drug
Addiction Through Safe Supply”, Ottawa Citizen (25 May 2020) A7.
14. Tonda MacCharles, “82% of Canada’s COVID-19 Deaths Have Been in Long-
term Care, New Data Reveals”, Toronto Star (7 May 2020), online: <www.thestar.
com/politics/federal/2020/05/07/82-of-canadas-covid-19-deaths-have-been-in-
long-term-care.html>.
15. “Quick Stats: Profile of Residents in Residential and Hospital-Based Continuing
Care, 2018–2019” at Table 1, online: Canadian Institute for Health Information <www.
cihi.ca/en/quick-stats>.
16. Ibid at Table 3.
17. Ibid at Table 6. See eg “British Columbia Residential Care Facilities Quick Facts
Directory 2018 Summary” (2018) at 1, online (pdf): Office of the Seniors Advocate
VULNERABLE
The Law, Policy and Ethics of COVID-19
- Titel
- VULNERABLE
- Untertitel
- The Law, Policy and Ethics of COVID-19
- Autoren
- Vanessa MacDonnell
- Jane Philpott
- Sophie Thériault
- Sridhar Venkatapuram
- Verlag
- Ottawa Press
- Datum
- 2020
- Sprache
- englisch
- Lizenz
- CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
- ISBN
- 9780776636429
- Abmessungen
- 15.2 x 22.8 cm
- Seiten
- 648
- Kategorien
- Coronavirus
- International