2007 Saskatchewan Election Lung Health Questionnaire

Highlights

The Lung Association of Saskatchewan is grateful to the NDP and Saskatchewan Parties for responding to the 2007 Provincial Election Questionnaire on lung health.

Both parties are committed to reducing the rising incidence of lung disease in this province. This represents a tremendous victory for the one in five people in this province who suffer from such lung diseases as asthma, COPD and lung cancer.

The Association will continue to work in tandem with the next government of Saskatchewan – and all members of the Legislature – to ensure that concrete action is taken on the treatment, prevention and management of lung disease in this province.

The Liberal Party did not respond.

Public Policy Issue #1:

Coordinated provincial action to improve prevention, diagnosis and treatment of chronic lung disease

New Democratic Party of Saskatchewan

·        Recognizes the serious effect sleep disorders can have on an individuals’ health

o       Committed to “… increasing the number of patients diagnosed and treated for sleep apnea”

o       Announced the development, in December 2006, of a one-year pilot project to improve access to services for those with suspected sleep apnea

o       Saskatchewan Government Insurance has committed $200,000 annually to the Regina Qu’Appelle Health Region for the Sleep Disorders Program at the Regina General Hospital

·        Will introduce a Universal Drug Plan so that no resident of Saskatchewan will pay more than $15 per prescription for drugs in the Saskatchewan formulary;
Will train, recruit and retain a greater number of doctors, nurses, technologists and other health care workers.

Saskatchewan Party

·        Is supportive of prevention, early diagnosis and accessibility to diagnostics and treatments;

·        Would undertake a review of drugs presently offered under the Exceptional Drug Status to determine whether they should be added to the provincial formulary

o       Commits $10 million annually for four years to add new drugs to the formulary.

·        Has a 10 year health human resource plan to fill current and future health care vacancies, train health professionals and examine retention and recruitment initiatives

Public Policy Issue #2:

Stronger legislation and programs that reduces public and on-the-job smoking exposure, restricts tobacco access and supports smoking cessation
New Democratic Party of Saskatchewan

• Cited the Tobacco Control Acts prohibition of smoking in all enclosed public spaces;

• Will continue to work with First Nations leaders to achieve a smoke-free environment in all enclosed public places, including on reserves.

Saskatchewan Party

• Will work towards smoke-free workplaces;
• Pharmacies should eliminate tobacco sales on a voluntary basis as opposed to through legislative means;
• Would review current levels of funding from tobacco tax revenue, and the funding going into prevention activities, with a goal to improving prevention strategies;
• Would examine the costs of implementing tobacco cessation programs.

Public Policy Issue #3:

Better access to specialized medical care and education services for children suffering from asthma and other lung diseases

New Democratic Party of Saskatchewan

• Will keep adding doctors, nurses and other health professionals and training spaces to strengthen the health care system.

Saskatchewan Party

• Advocates for a Children’s Hospital to attract the necessary specialists in pediatrics, including those in lung health.

Public Policy Issue #4

Legislative and regulatory action on indoor and outdoor air quality to reduce the burden on lung health

New Democratic Party of Saskatchewan

• Launched the province’s Green Strategy as a means to improving the environment and addressing climate change;
• Will expand wind power production by almost 60% by 2012;
• Has expanded air quality monitoring stations to Prince Albert and Swift Current;
• Have completed a Clean Air Monitoring Protocol, and drafted an Air Monitoring Directive, to improve protection, monitoring and compliance with air quality requirements in the provinces;
• Developed a plan to monitor acid deposition in northwest Saskatchewan in response to the expansion of the Alberta Oil Sands;
• Have coordinated the new mobile Saskatchewan Air Monitoring Lab to monitor projected levels of acid deposition on ecosystems, and to monitor/investigate air quality issues in the province.

Saskatchewan Party

• Would consider developing air quality regulations;
• Need more information before creating a provincial radon testing program or moving to ban open field/windrow burning of crop residue;
• Would provide low-interest loans through SaskPower and SaskEnergy to install geothermal heating and renewable power in homes, businesses and other institutions;
• Would expand the purchase of renewable energy and co-generated power from industrial sources;
• Would ensure that new power supplies, developed to replace retired power generation facilities, reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
• Would not consider reviewing existing building codes to require non-polluting renewable energy production in all new homes. Instead, believe that providing incentives to spur action by an individual is preferable.

Read the full text of the responses to the questionnaire.