About 80 doctors in Toronto stage sit-in to protest against funding cuts to health services to refugees

This article is more than 8 years old

This article is more than 8 years old

A group of doctors on Friday briefly occupied an office belonging to a senior Canadian government minister to protest against planned government cuts to health services offered to refugees.

In Toronto, about 80 doctors staged a demonstration at the office of Conservative government cabinet minister Joe Oliver.

Oliver was not there at the time, and the group left after half an hour after police arrived, before continuing the protest on the street.

The cuts, which supporters estimate will save about CAD$100m over five years, are aimed at discouraging "unfounded" refugees from coming to the country, according to the government.

However, some doctors have said the move will simply delay much-needed treatment for vulnerable people and social groups that will end up costing more money in the long-run.

"We are extremely frustrated with the misinformation on this issue," Jane Pritchard, a family physician who works with refugees, said in a statement.

"We do not see refugees requiring healthcare as a public drain on the system. Instead we see future citizens protecting and improving their health as an investment that benefits the entire community," she added.