The Alberta Medical Association is speaking out on the plight of temporary workers injured in Alberta.
In a letter to a doctor advocating for Maria Victoria Venancio, AMA president Dr. Richard Johnston says temporary workers who come here to contribute to the economy deserve support.
Venancio, a temporary foreign worker from the Philippines who became a quadriplegic while working in Edmonton, was hit by a car on her bike ride to work three years ago in Edmonton.
The province refuses to provide healthcare coverage, saying she is in the province illegally.
But Johnston said once an individual has begun a course of medical care, it is important the care be completed.
“The need for care and support does not end because a worker is due or required to leave the province,” he wrote.”We need some clear definitions around the start and end of the province’s responsibility for health care.
“The corporations for whom the individual works should also bear some obligation.”
