UPDATE - Statement by Eileen Dooley, CEO, HealthPartners, in Response to Today's Announcement by the Prime Minister

Please note that a link was missing in the release sent previously

OTTAWA, March 30, 2020 /CNW/ - HealthPartners Canada applauds today's announcement by the Government of Canada to provide support for some of Canada's most vulnerable people during the COVID-19 pandemic.

We thank the government for its leadership in this time of crisis and for the supports it will be giving to Canadian workers, businesses and certain vulnerable individuals. We look forward to the upcoming announcement that the Prime Minister will be making with respect to the charitable sector, which includes health charities. Our national health charities provide frontline assistance to the millions of Canadians living with chronic disease and serious illness whose compromised immunity puts them at risk during this health crisis.

We know that chronic disease doesn't stop during a pandemic, but donations do. And that is already having an impact on our charities' ability to provide ongoing services and programming to children living with cystic fibrosis, to families who are caregivers for parents with Alzheimer's, as well as to Canadians with diabetes, cancer or multiple sclerosis, to name but a few.

Canadians ? and our charities ? are vulnerable right now due to the cancellation or postponement of their spring fundraising events, which account for a major portion of their annual revenues. This loss of donations, combined with the need for physical distancing, are having a severe impact on the capacity of our charities to continue delivering their supports and services to at-risk Canadians.

We are launching a special fundraising appeal and ask for the generosity of Canadians at this time to help those most at risk. We have also joined with other organizations such as Health Charities Coalition of Canada and Imagine Canada in requesting help from the Government of Canada to sustain the work of charities. We have asked the Prime Minister to consider the needs of health charities as a priority in his upcoming announcement.

Throughout this challenging time, we continue to work with our partners and especially our 16 member health charities, which support the 87% of Canadians who will have a chronic disease or serious illness during their lifetime. The underlying conditions of those living with chronic disease mean that they are more likely to be disproportionately affected by COVID-19.

We take this opportunity to express our sincere gratitude to all Canadians providing essential services and helping to care for and protect our communities across the country.

Attached: letter to the Rt. Honourable Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada

Visit our website for updates on our information relating to COVID-19. 

www.healthpartners.ca

SOURCE HealthPartners