For First Nations children living in First Nations communities, in particular, access to services for health related matters, is simply not available in their communities and depending upon their circumstances, many are voluntarily placed into child welfare care so they canaccess the services they need to address physical, mental and or addiction related needs (Lavallee 2005).
This statement makes me very sad. It is really upsetting to see that Indigenous people are less eligible for health care for whatever reason. Everyone deserves to have the same type of health care no matter who they are or what background they come from. Just because they are of a different race doesn't mean they should be denied health care. Here in Canada, most of our health care is free. However, for the things that do cost money (ambulance rides, etc) the towns these people live in should have government subsidiary programs that would help these people to get the medical care they need. Not only do healthy people in remote areas need health care, people with physical disabilities need regular doctor check-ups, possibly medicines, surgeries, etc. How are these disabled people going to get the medical attention they need if they can't a) afford it, or b) have access to a doctor's office or a hospital.
Too many times I have seen Aboriginal children in foster care with certain disabilities, such as Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. I never realized that maybe they were only in foster care to have access to health care. This is another sad point of this article. These children are taken away from their families simply to gain access to health care. Yes, health care is a necessary element in everyday life, but it is a very sad reality that these children must be taken from their mothers, fathers, and siblings. Weren't Aboriginal families torn apart enough when the residential schools were in place? Now the government is finding other reasons to take these children away from everything they've ever known to put them with Caucasian families who can supply health care. Just another reason for government subsidiaries to be put into place. It seems as though the government just doesn't care as much about reserves and these remote towns because of the high population of Aboriginal people there.
It's really upsetting how the government just doesn't seem to care about certain areas of the country just because they are further away or because of the type of people who live there.
-Amanda P.
Citations:
Bennett, Marlyn (2010). Aboriginal Health—The Overlap Among Child Maltreatment, Mental Health, and Addictive Behaviours—The Way Forward. Int J Ment Health Addiction 1. Retrieved from http://www.springerlink.com.proxy1.lib.umanitoba.ca/content/xg0427p683558387/fulltext.pdf
I totally agree with you Amanda. Every person should be provided and have access to the same services to health care. It's so unfair that some Aboriginals children are taken from their homes to be able to receive health care. Health services should be provided and accessible to all individuals.
ReplyDeleteSarah H
It's just not fair that certain people have less access due to who they are or what race they belong to. Every person and every town should have the same health care systems as the big cities, whether they are poor, or of a different race. Just because they aren't the same as everyone else doesn't mean they are insignificant.
ReplyDelete-Amanda P.
While equal access to health care is important, i think it's also equally important to consider why the Aboriginal population is at a greater risk of suffering from poor health. I agree that we must also examine the living conditions of Aboriginal communities, as poverty has been shown to drastically reduce both physical and mental health.
ReplyDelete-Erin Roche
This is definitely true, but at the same time the fact that the Aboriginal population suffers from poor health more so than the Caucasian population does should not be a true fact. Everyone should live in the same living conditions. It is not fair to Aboriginal people that they might be living in run-down little houses barely big enough for their own families while the people on Wellington Crescent are living in houses worth millions.
ReplyDelete-Amanda P.
I completely agree with your post and comments. Everyone should have access to necessities, such as health, and it's mind-blowing that some people are denied that right or the fact that they have to be put in foster homes, away from their family, just to receive it.
ReplyDelete- Kristal
Great post! Every person in Canada should be able to have the same opportunities to experience our free health care system. That is why it is there, so to hear that aboriginals aren't able to have the best of healthcare offered to them is disturbing.
ReplyDeleteEvery person deserves to live a healthy life, regardless of their race/background. Government should consider thinking about aboriginal communities in rural areas and how difficult it is for them to access our healthcare.
It is also sad to hear that children have to be taken away from their families to be able to receive healthcare. Something needs to be done to allow these children to grow up with their family and live a healthy lifestyle.
-Jessica VL
Most reserves, especially northern and remote ones have a one-stop health care centre known as the nursing station. Typically these are understaffed with the few nurses working there expected to do it all. Mental health workers, health care aides and child care workers are nonexistant. The federal government has a bare bones approach to Aboriginal healthcare and one of the consequences of that policy is that children are being forced to leave their families just so they can be cared for.
ReplyDeleteRachel Ryan-Dorn
I have lived on a reserve and have seen the lack of health care provided. I thought it was crazy when the dentist would come every three months and only be there for a day, this left very little time for appointments in a reserve of well over 2000. I can't even imagine the hardships people with physical disabilities face. I think that Aboriginal reserves deserve to have the same amenities that the rest of society has.
ReplyDeleteAlexis B.
Society has endless needs and wants but resources are limited. Therefore the government has to decide the best possible way to allocate resources. There are numerous organizations and no matter how the government distributes labour and money there will always be someone who is upset. Society’s problems are overwhelming and solutions seem unattainable but we must continue to chip away at all the problems. I think education is very important in these remote areas so that people can work within their communities. Everything takes time and hope someday that everyone can have access to the things they need most.
ReplyDeleteJessica N.