Open Letter to Federal Party Leaders

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Utilizing internationally trained talent for healthy communities

13 September 2021

We the under-signed civil society organizations and groups call on federal party leaders to address long-standing licensure and employment barriers facing internationally educated health professionals as your commitment to Canadians in the 2021 federal election.

 As you are aware Canada’s healthcare system is facing a multifaceted crisis.

  • Healthcare workers are burnt out and exhausted due to their pandemic response efforts. 
  • The needs of our healthcare system are growing as our population ages.
  • Today we are facing shortages of health professionals, and that is projected to become more severe in the years ahead.
  • Internationally Educated Health Professionals (IEHPs) already are a core part of our healthcare system and represent a fundamental part of the solution to our healthcare needs.

However, the skills and experience IEHPs bring to Canada are extremely underutilized. This has weakened our pandemic response capacity, and perpetuates race, gender, and human rights inequities.

Canadians want a government that will prioritize the process to design and implement a national strategy that will effectively and equitably integrate the thousands of immigrants who are internationally educated health professionals into the healthcare system swiftly, while meeting or exceeding quality of care standards.

A national strategy would: 

  • Rebuild and strengthen Canada's healthcare human resources and fortify the healthcare system.
  • Address the longstanding underutilization of the skills of Canada’s IEHPs.
  • Address the needs of Francophone IEHPs in primarily English language communities.
  • Re-invest in the healthcare workforce for the future and reduce economic losses associated with underutilization.
  • Provide inclusive, linguistically, and culturally representative patient care services for an increasingly diverse population.
  • Empower talented IEHPs economically, professionally, and personally.
  • Modernize and scale up the equitable integration of IEHPs across all sectors of the healthcare system.

Your parties have made certain healthcare commitments in the 2021 election campaign. But what is missing and important for Canadians to know during the campaign period is how your party plans to solve our healthcare crisis by utilizing IEHPs who can contribute to solutions that benefit everyone.

Sincerely,

Access Alliance Multicultural Health & Community Services
Action Not Words
AdvantAge Ontario
Affiliation of Multicultural Societies and Service Agencies of BC (AMSSA)
Afghan Women's Organization Refugee and Immigrant Services
Afghan Women's Organization's  Refugee and immigrant Services
Alberta Association of Immigrant Serving Agencies (AAISA)
Association of International Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario
Atlantic Region Association of Immigrant Serving Agencies (ARAISA)
Canadian Centre for Language & Cultural Studies, Inc.
Canadian Council for Refugees
CanAge
CÉSOC
Chinese and Southeast Asian Legal Clinic
Chinese Association of Mississauga
Chinese Canadian National Council for Social Justice
Colour of Poverty - Colour of Change
Community Development Council Durham
Community Family Services of Ontario
Conseil Economique et Social d'Ottawa-Carleton (CESOC)
Durham Region Unemployed Help Centre
Halton Family Health Center
Institute for Canadian Citizenship
International Longevity Centre Canada
International Migration Research Centre, WIlfrid Laurier University
Internationally Trained Medical Doctors Canada Network
Internationally Trained Physicians of Ontario
Ismaili Nurses Alliance
Ismaili Nurses Alliance Ontario
ITMDs Canada Network [iCaN]
Latin Immigrant Niagara Community Association
Manitoba Association of Newcomer Serving Organizations
MOSAIC
Multicultural Centre of the Yukon
National Initiative for the Care of the Elderly (NICE)
Niagara Folk Arts Multicultural Centre 
No more Warehousing 
North Bay & District Multicultural Centre
North York Community House
OCASI - Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants
Occupational Justice for Newcomers Network
Ontario Long Term Care Association
PINAY (Quebec)
Project Abraham
Punjabi Community Health Services
Quinte Immigration Services
Service jésuite des réfugiés Canada
Service jésuite des réfugiés Canada
Social Planning Toronto
Society for Canadians Studying Medicine Abroad
Society for Canadians Studying Medicine Abroad
South Asian Legal Clinic of Ontario
Success Skills Centre
Sudanese Canadian Health Professionals 
Supporting Employment & Economic Development (SEED) Winnipeg Inc.
The 519
TNO, Doctor study group
Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council
UHC-Hub of Opportunities
Université de Montréal
Université de Montréal
University Settlement
Vancouver Island Counselling Centre for Immigrants & Refugees
Welland Heritage Council and Multicultural Centre
WIL Employment Connections
YWCA Toronto

Abdul Othman 
Adrienne Sulistyo 
Afreen Sanam
Afshan Khatoon
Afshan Salman
Afshan Zeeshan 
Afsheen Mehar
Afsheen Mehar
Ahmed Aljied 
Ahmed Taha
Ahmed Waheed
Aiman Hassan
Ajay S Praveen
Akhil Bassi
Alex Neve, Senior Fellow, Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, University of Ottawa
Alexander Dare
Ali Khalid
Ali Pahloosye
Alice Horwood
Amany Elenna
Amatur Rahman Malahat 
Amel Ali
Amin Albaggary
Amina Malik, Ismaili Nurses Association
Amr Ahmed
Anam Nazir
Angela Enright
Anna Triandafyllidou, Ryerson University, Canada Excellence Research Chair in Migration and Integration
Anooshah Nasim 
Antanina Hulko
Any Mathews M
Arzu Turan 
Asad Dar
Asem Murshed 
Asma Badir
Athish Jayakumar
Audrey Macklin, University of Toronto
Aya Elwaey
Beenish Zehra
Blerina Sinatrakaj
Bolanle Oludairo
Brhane Henderson
Bruna Murvay
Carolina Azurdia
Cesar Adrian Gonzalez Cardenas
Dalbir Dhanda
Darshana K Maheshwari 
Dave Connell
Deidre Lake
Denise Helly
Dharshika Muthuthevar
Dolapo Abe
Dr Nousheen Khan
Dr Shafi Bhuiyan
Dr. Afsheen Mehar
Dr. Alaknanda Dhotre
Dr. Rafia Batool 
Dr. Sreekumar Kunnumpurath, Royal College of Anesthetists 
Dulika Hewa Anthonige
Edith Quintanilla
Eiman Abbo
Ekaterina Rent
Elaine Sta Mina, Ryerson University
Eman Radwan
Emmalyn Sumodobila
Erin Leslee Dames
Erum  Hasnain Zaidi
Esfandiar Shojaei
Estela Maris
Evgenii Lapa
Faiga Osman 
Fairoz Ameen
Faiyzah Ahmed 
Farzaneh Dabaghi 
Fatima Khan 
Fatima Naeem
Fatima Umar
Fayzullo Sultanov
Fiza Rauf
Fizza Mohsin 
Florentina Burlacu
Francois Crepeau, Faculty of Law, McGill University Fritzie Montecillo
Gajetan Pio Suresh
Gaurav Khalsa
George Uzonwanne
Gerly Abutal
Grażyna Rozanska
Grigory Sander
Hadeel Odeh
Haifa Elosta
Hamidullah Akbari
Hana Badran
Hana Yousif
Hanan Ali
Hanna Elaghabash

Harry Korosis
Harsimran Kaur
Hezekiah Ogunyale 
Hina Javed 
Homeira Yazdinejad
Htwe Thida Aung
Huguette hayden
Hussain Kareem
Ian Gold
Inderjit singh
Irene Altimira
Ishrat Saberin
Ishtiaq Bashir
Ivan Christopher
Jackie Wakeling 
Jan Ceylan
Jasbir Singh
Jasmik Saini
Jayesh Shinde
Jennifer Donato
Jerome Panganiban
Jessica Praznik
Jessica Tang
Joel Parungao
Joel Shyam Klinton
Julia Atanasova
June Pollard
K Bala
Karuna Bala
Keivan Anbarani
Kemi Okwuegbuna 
Khadija Haris
Khalid Niaz
Kimberly Thompson
Klaus Gruber
Lauren Di Felice
Lida Safavizadeh
Lillian Saberian
Lori Littleton
Luca Salvador
Luma Al-Dulaimi 
Maged Shokry
Maggie Perzyna
Maha Hassan
Mahabuba Ahmed
Mahamad Adam
Maheen Ahmed
Maira Saleem
Malcolm MacFarlane
Mansi Goswami 
Mansour Elshami
Marcus Rodrigues 
María Tovar
Marian Rossiter
Mariana Thangaraja
Mariano Rubharajan Kanagaratnam
Marie Maddumage
Marie Mouradikian
Mariyam Nauffer 
Marwa Said
Marwah Ali
Mary Purkey
Maryam Naghibzadeh
Md Giass Uddin 
Midhat A. Ali Al-Zubaidi
Mina Abbaslou
Mithila Orin
Mohamed Abushwemeh
Mohamed Ali
Mohamed Rashed
Mohammed Saboor Syed 
Mohammed Zahidul Islam
Monsura Haque
Mouhanad Alnirabiah 
Mourin Moyen
Mubarak Abdelkerim 
Muhammad Shehryar
Muni Nazerali
Mustafa Siddiqi
Nabila Fertassi
Naheed Ahmed Akhtar
Najam Ul Saher Faisal
Nanna Supritha
Naxhielli Méndez
Nazila Baghery
Nef Villagonzalo
Negar Khodadadi
Neha Agarwal
Nishat Mehdi 
Noman Sabir Shaheen
Nour Amiri
Nuha Mustafa
Olawunmi Oladipo 
Omer Shah
Orinami Saiki
Parvinder Singh
Parvinder Singh 
Peter Penz, York University Professor Emeritus
Phinehas Omondi
Pooja Kantepalli
Pooja Kumari 
Pragash Logan
Preeya Laxman
Princila Mukoko
Priscilla Afari
Rafia Kamran Saboor 
Rafia Shahid
Rajkumar Luke
Rami Aoura
Randa Yosef
Ranjit Singh Bajwa
Rawand Najm
Rayhanatul Ferdous
Razia Parveen
Renee Richards
Reynoldine Noel
Riham Abdelhalim
Roaa Hirmiz
Rommana Mehdi
Rose Karborani
Rosemary Pawliuk
Ross McKay, BSc., MSc., MD
Rubina Mustafa
Ruchira Bharti
Saadia Shahid
Saba Sarfraz
Sadaf Iqbal
Sadaf Sami
Sadia Zafar
Saida Azam
Saima Malik
Salma Zaki
Samar Elansari
Samreen Obaid
Sania Ijaz
Sarah Almiligi
Sarah Bashir
Sarah Kastner
Saumitra Barua
Sawsan Mohammed
Selcan Akyol
Serife Gulmus
Setareh Banihosseini
Shadi Zain
Shahzana Naqqash
Shakeel Ahmed
Shalaka Dixit
Shiva Barati
Smita Murkey
Sneha Nathani
Stein Monteiro
Suby Suma Babu
Sughra Jokhio
Sumaya Tasneem
Sumbul Naz
Surabhi Kaul
Syed Jamal Shah
Syed Mohyiddin
Syeda Jafri
Tamer Hassan
Tanu Dixit
Tarek Ibrahim
Tarig Hamad
Tasmia Tazrin
Tauheed Akhtar
Tayyiba Khan
Tehreem Nathaniel
Teresa Cortez
Thanaa Mustafa Khalil
Thi Thien Huong Nguyen
Tolu Soyemi
Victoria Darmina
Victoria Wilson
Vikas Arora
Vinceng Lozada
Vineet Kainth
Vishal Bhavsar
Vithana Nandadasa
Volf Gaby
Wagma Saad
Wagma Saas
Walaa - Al-Chetachi
Yasmine Shalaby
Yomen Al Saati
Yosra Hamour
Zaiba Mohammed
Zainub Syeda Fatima
Zalmay Sahak