August
12, 2002
No
Direction in BC Health Care
consultant wanted
Having
reorganized the Ministries of Health and eliminated hundreds
of jobs, the Campbell government is now finding itself directionless
and in chaos. Instead of solving any of its problems,
another New Era promise is being broken as government turns
to an ad agency to try to convince British Columbians that
things aren't as bad as they seem.
"BC
Bid" is part of the purchasing commission's website.
On August 6th a "request
for qualifications" was posted for consulting services
to the Ministry of Health Planning. During the election
campaign the Campbell Liberals led people to believe that
they had all the answers for BC's health system. Many will
recall the Premier saying that it was just a matter of having
the legislature's Select Standing Committee on Health tour
the province and talk to a few folks. Now the story is different
as government attempts to recruit a consultant to provide
a plan. In particular, the posting on the BC Bid site says:
"The
Ministry is now in the process of developing a long term
plan for a sustainable health system for British Columbia,
which will serve as the strategic plan for the B.C. ministries
of health (i.e., the Ministry of Health Planning and the
Ministry of Health Services)."
"The
Province will require a Contractor to develop identified
components of the Plan, a crucial element for the development
of the overall Health Strategy. In particular, a Contractor
is being sought to supply the following components:
-
Industry
analysis of the current environment for the BC Health
system
-
Establishment/coordination
of experts and expert panels to forecast the impact
of identified factors on health and health care
-
Development
and detailed impact analysis of scenario models of plausible
futures for the health care system in B.C."
"Other
components of the Health System Directional Plan will be
developed in-house in the Ministry, with support from external
resources when required."
The
appeal for a consultant to help develop overall health strategy
for BC comes just a week after Premier Campbell criticized
the Romanow
Commission and said the federal government had to provide
more money. That is the same Gordon Campbell who in opposition
said that the federal government wasn't cutting deeply enough.
It is possible that the Romanow Commission will identify
many of the "impacts of identified factors on health
and health care" and that it will discuss "plausible
futures for the health care system". Rather than participate
in the national effort, the Campbell government is inviting
bids from private consultants.
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