Healthcare for all: Kerian Burnett

Who is Kerian Burnett?

Kerian Burnett is a mother of six and grandmother of two. In 2022, she left her home in Jamaica to come work on a strawberry farm in Nova Scotia. While working here, she received the devastating news of a cancer diagnosis, and was advised by her doctor to remain in Canada to undergo life-saving treatments. 

While migrant workers like Kerian support Nova Scotian farms and our economy, they are unfairly excluded from provincial healthcare coverage (MSI). As a result, Kerian was not able to access some key health services and was expected to pay for life-saving procedures out-of-pocket.

Why are migrant farm workers like Kerian excluded from MSI?

Healthcare policies vary province-to-province. In Quebec and Ontario, migrant workers like Kerian who are in the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program (SAWP) have access to public healthcare coverage on arrival. In Nova Scotia, migrant workers must have a one-year work permit to be eligible for public healthcare coverage (MSI). This means that migrant farm workers in the SAWP are not eligible, because their contracts are only up to 8 months per year. However, many come to live and work in Nova Scotia year after year.

Migrant workers are supposed to have a private health insurance which is tied to their employment until they are eligible for public healthcare coverage. However, this provides them with limited coverage. In Kerian’s case, after she became ill, her job ended and so too did her housing, her income, and her health insurance. Kerian’s case highlights the vulnerability faced by migrant workers in Nova Scotia without public healthcare coverage.

What has been the response of the provincial and federal government to Kerian’s case?

On December 15, 2022, Kerian applied for a Temporary Resident Permit (TRP), as well as healthcare coverage through the Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP) due to her ongoing medical needs. This type of application for someone in Kerian’s situation is rare. She received a positive decision on the application for the TRP, which was granted until January 10, 2024.

In August 2023, she received a positive response to her application for the IFHP.

Kerian and her supporters have also been calling on the Government of Nova Scotia to provide MSI to all migrant workers. To date, the Nova Scotia government has not done so.

HOW YOU CAN TAKE ACTION:

• “Healthcare for all: Kerian Burnett’s story” event in Antigonish (July 16, 2023)

• “Cards for Kerian Burnett” event in Halifax (May 15, 2023)

• Open letter to Minister Michelle Thompson signed by 26+ Nova Scotia organizations (March 31, 2023)