The BC Conservatives announced a five-point platform on reproductive and women’s health, calling for paid sick leave for women who’ve had a miscarriage and financial assistance for families who adopt.
The party unveiled its “Next Generation Healthcare” initiative on Friday, a five-point plan that is focused on reproductive health and family formation.
The proposed plan would overhaul the province’s health services to ensure women will have accessibility to high-standard reproductive health care, which the BC Conservatives argue has fallen behind in recent years under the NDP government.
“BC women deserve world-class reproductive healthcare, and the current system is failing them. Our plan will bring BC into the future with real support for women and families at every stage of their reproductive journey,” said Conservative Party of British Columbia Leader John Rustad in a statement.
“Under the NDP, BC’s reproductive health services have lagged far behind those in other regions. Women and families here deserve better access, better care, and better outcomes and our plan will deliver exactly that,” continued Rustad. “We’re committed to providing real, tangible support at every step of the reproductive journey, from fertility treatments to pregnancy care, and everything in between. It’s time for BC women to receive the high-quality care they deserve.”
The initiative’s key focuses are on “expanding access to fertility treatments, supporting women after pregnancy loss, training more midwives, providing financial support for adoption, and investing in research for women’s health.”
Among the expansion of access to fertility treatments, would be providing affordable in vitro fertilization treatments, including funding for the second round of treatments and opening more clinics across the province.
The party also plans to provide “one month paid compassionate leave after miscarriage” to help women suffering the physical and emotional toll endured after a pregnancy loss so that they may “recover without the added stress of work obligations.”
The initiative also seeks to train additional midwives to improve family support, including establishing a midwife training school in Surrey that would partner with “post-secondary institutions to create a midwife degree program” aimed at addressing the critical shortage of midwives in certain regions of BC.
The BC Conservatives would also like to introduce financial assistance for adoption that could support families with the high costs associated with adoption.
Finally, the Next Generation Healthcare initiative wants to provide more research funding into women’s health regarding cervical and ovarian cancers, a struggle Rustad knows well as his wife was previously diagnosed with ovarian cancer.
According to a statement from the party, it plans to “invest in groundbreaking research on cervical and ovarian cancer, focusing on early detection and innovative treatments to improve outcomes and save lives.”
Rustad said the five-point plan will “raise the standard of reproductive services in BC and ensure that women have the support they deserve.”
“Whether it’s fertility, miscarriage recovery, midwifery care, adoption, or women’s health research, Conservatives are committed to making sure women’s health is prioritized,” he said.
“Next Generation Healthcare initiative is a comprehensive approach that seeks to address the gaps in BC’s reproductive healthcare services and empower women with the best possible care at every stage of their lives.”