Rochon cochonApril marks the beginning of the second quarter of Health Minister Jean Rochon's new drug plan--which also means it's time to pay your premiums again. But David Alper of Project Genesis says many low-income earners can't afford to pay and have stopped taking their medication. "For someone earning $490 a month on welfare," Alper says, "the question becomes 'Do I take my medicine or do I eat?'" Alhough the plan is only three months old, Alper says it's already a bust. "Pharmacists don't like it, hospitals don't like it, nobody likes it. The entire drug plan is nothing more than a money-saving scheme," he says.
Project Genesis has organized an exhibit of protest art titled Petit Rochon, featuring 20 Jean Rochon "piggybanks." The exhibit runs at Galerie Yves Le Roux, 5505 St-Laurent, until Sunday April 13.
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