WATCH: Discussing the Federal Response to COVID-19 with the Minister of Health and Department of Defence Officials
On June 26, 2020, Senator Ratna Omidvar asked witnesses testifying before the Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology about the federal government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In this clip, Senator Omidvar asks the Minister of Health, Patty Hajdu, if the federal government could provide personal protective equipment (PPE) to migrant workers upon their arrival to Canada, as well as consider implementing national housing standards for migrant workers.
In this clip, Senator Omidvar asks Minister Hajdu what she thinks of the proposal to create a Canadian home care allowance for senior citizens.
In 2017, the federal government committed $6 billion over 10 years to provinces and territories to improve access to home care services. In this clip, Senator Omidvar asks the Minister of Health, Patty Hajdu, and the Deputy Minister of Health, Dr. Stephen Lucas, how the money has been spent so far and what impact the funding has had on seniors.
In this clip, Senator Omidvar asks Major General Marc Bilodeau, Deputy Surgeon General and Director General of Clinical Services at the Canadian Forces Health Services Group, if the Canadian armed forces will need more medical professionals in their ranks in order to be prepared for future pandemics.
In this clip, Senator Omidvar asks Major General Bilodeau to comment on the recommendation that the personal support worker (PSW) occupation be more regulated to improve the quality of care.
In this clip, Senator Omidvar asks Brigadier General Lise Bourgon, Director General, Operations, Canadian Joint Operations Command, if Reservists and Rangers were deployed to combat the COVID-19 pandemic and, if yes, what role they played.