Following two days of health minister meetings in Calgary, the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) has voiced sharp disappointment, saying the discussions once again ended without any concrete plans to fix Canada’s ailing health-care system.
CMA president Dr. Margot Burnell said on Saturday that the time for endless discussions is over and that governments must act on well-known solutions to address the deepening crisis in medical care. “We were disappointed that they did not come out with tangible, concrete action plans,” Burnell told CTV News Channel. “We’ve had lots of discussions about many of these topics. We know the solutions — now we need to start developing and implementing them.”
The Calgary meetings, held on October 16 and 17, brought together federal, provincial, and territorial health ministers to discuss major issues such as access to affordable pharmaceuticals, integrating digital tools, expanding mental health and addiction services, and licensing internationally trained health professionals. However, the CMA said the outcome fell short of the urgent reforms needed to address workforce shortages and access gaps.
Burnell outlined the CMA’s top priorities: increased funding for primary care teams, streamlined licensing so doctors can work across provinces, and a national pathway for internationally trained physicians. She noted that other countries, including the U.S. and Australia, have demonstrated that multi-jurisdictional licensing can improve access to care by 10 to 15 per cent, particularly benefiting rural and border communities.
The scale of Canada’s health workforce shortage is stark. According to the CMA’s Caring for Canadians: Canada’s Future Health Workforce report released earlier this year, the country needs 23,000 more family doctors, 14,000 licensed practical nurses, 28,000 registered nurses, and thousands of other health professionals to meet patient demand.
“We need every opportunity to reduce barriers so that physicians can practice where they’re needed most,” Burnell said. She also called for stronger investment in digital health systems to replace outdated paperwork-heavy processes that slow down care delivery.
Burnell criticized the federal government for deferring discussion on vaccines to a future meeting, despite ongoing measles outbreaks across the country. “That’s very disappointing,” she said. “Vaccinations save lives — we’ve seen preventable deaths from measles, and that’s a serious public health concern that should have been prioritized.”
As the CMA pushes for urgent reform, Burnell’s message to governments was clear: Canadians cannot afford another round of empty promises — the health system needs bold, immediate, and measurable action.