In 1959, the then-premier of Saskatchewan, Thomas Douglas envisioned a universal, pre-paid and publicly administered health care system – the first of its kind in North America. This plan for Saskatchewan prompted the federal government to initiate a national strategy to subsidize socialized medicine and support provinces in the shift to a universal system.

He's recognized as "the father of Medicare," and the one to thank for our universal healthcare system as we know it in Canada today.

But is this system in trouble?

This is not a conversation which is new to rabble radio.

In May, rabble contributor Doreen Nicoll sat down with Natalie Mehra, the executive director of the Ontario Health Coalition to talk about the privatization of long-term care homes in Ontario. Nicoll spoke to Sarah Jama, the co-founder of the Disability Justice Network of Ontario, later that month to talk about the importance of accessible health services in regard to those who are differently abled.

This week, we continue the conversation by sharing an interview from the first episode of the newest season of Courage My Friends.

In this interview, host Resh Budhu speaks to JP Hornick, the president of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union, and palliative care physician and health justice activist, Dr. Naheed Dosani. The three discuss the current crisis facing public healthcare in Ontario.

Courage My Friends is a podcast series presented by rabble.ca and the Tommy Douglas Institute at George Brown College, with the support of the Douglas Coldwell Layton Foundation.

Hosted on Needs No Introduction, a sister podcast to rabble radio, this season's Courage My Friends will focus on housing, education, erosion of public goods, just economics, the plight of migrant workers, and the climate crisis.

Join our Off the Hill conversation next week!

Join panelists MP Leah Gazan, Georgina Lazore, and Breanne Lavallée-Heckert and co-hosts Robin Browne and Libby Davies as they deconstruct truth and reconciliation.

On Thursday, September 22 at 7:30pm eastern time, join our panel via Zoom and engage with our panelists as they discuss how Indigenous Peoples are exercising sovereignty every day, the tangible ways settlers can support Indigenous Peoples in their communities, and what action must be taken at the federal and provincial levels for meaningful change.

Register today at: https://bit.ly/OffTheHillSeptember22

If you like the show please consider subscribing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you find your podcasts. And please, rate, review, share rabble radio with your friends — it takes two seconds to support independent media like rabble. Follow us on social media across channels @rabbleca. Or, if you have feedback for the show, get in touch anytime at [email protected].

Photo by: Marcelo Leal on Unsplash