International students ask for promised health care – Winnipeg Free Press

International students and recent graduates who call Manitoba home are calling on the NDP government to immediately follow through on its campaign promise to restore universal health care.

Manitoba Health held a press conference Wednesday to promote a new report and renew a call for the province to cover the cost of doctor visits for all post-secondary students, regardless of the patient's nationality.

The group announced that it will expand its advocacy efforts to include migrant workers and undocumented immigrants.

“We can't wait,” spokeswoman Judith Oviosun-Smith told reporters at the University of Winnipeg's downtown campus.

“Every day that goes by without access to medical care puts the lives and well-being of countless people in our community at risk.”

Owiosun-Smith, who hails from Nigeria, was midway through her bachelor's degree when the then PC government announced that she and her peers had been denied access to health care in 2018.

At the time, the Pallister government indicated that the policy change would save the province $3.1 million annually. Since then, international students have had to pay out-of-pocket for private insurance, which costs an additional $1,000 per academic year.

Owiosun-Smith, citing concerns about the limitations of her private plan, said she began actively avoiding the hospital — a common practice among international students, even when they are seriously ill, according to a recent report.

Oviosun-Smith, who graduated from the University of Manitoba in 2021 and is now a permanent resident, is one of four researchers who have studied the impact of COVID-19 on international students and the population's broader challenges accessing health services over the past five years. .

“This policy (change) has led to an increase in the number of uninsured migrants and unmet health needs in Manitoba in general, which raises the question of why access to health care is viewed as a human right by some and treated as a commodity. an incentive that can be turned on and off for others,” reads an excerpt from their 31-page report released by the Canadian Center for Policy Alternatives.

In 2021, the Canadian Federation of Students — a founding member of Health for All Manitoba — conducted an anonymous survey of about 30 temporary residents.

Common themes include financial stress from the 2018 policy changes, as well as reports of fear, uncertainty, and risk related to addressing personal health issues.

In one testimony, a student reported contracting COVID-19 and praying for death instead of racking up a hefty hospital bill.

Participants also revealed that their lack of social inclusion made them feel unequal and excluded from their peers.

According to Nigerian student Olusewa Olanubi, frontline workers not knowing how to proceed with private insurance, followed by delays in clinic appointments, cause fear, anxiety and alienation for patients like her.

“It's a question of fairness, compassion and social justice,” said Olanubi, a U of M master's candidate who co-authored the report.

Given the high cost of tuition for international students, Shaluki Boatswain said, “at least (the province) is making sure our health — our physical and mental health — is well taken care of.”

“Lack of good physical and mental health certainly affects our (academic) performance. If you don't perform well, of course you will be kicked out of the course. It's like a ripple effect,” said Guyana-Canadian, who graduated from U of W in 2017 and earned another degree from U of M.

Advocates collected dozens of signed postcards from supporters to drop off at the offices of Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara and Advanced Education Minister Rene Cable.

The NDP communications office did not respond to requests for comment by deadline.

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