Updated: Mon Jun. 18 2012 14:49:36

CTVNews.ca Staff

Health care workers across the country took to the streets in protest Monday to decry planned cuts to medical services currently provided to refugees.

In one protest, hundreds of doctors in white coats gathered on Parliament Hill, saying cuts to refugee health programs will lead to a national public health crisis.

"We are launching into an uncontrolled, disastrous, human health experience by arbitrarily denying life-saving medical care to some of the most vulnerable and traumatized people in the whole world," said Dr. Mark Tyndall, the head of infectious diseases at the Ottawa hospital.

"And for what? Further isolation and suffering, the spread of infectious diseases, increased wait times at our hospital emergency departments. Canada is way better than this."

The workers are angry that the federal government is planning to end free dental, vision and prescription drugs offered to most refugee claimants through the Interim Federal Health (IFH), Canada's health insurance program for refugees.

With less than two weeks to go until the federal cuts kick in, the health workers planned protests outside federal government offices in 10 Canadian cities, from St. John's to Vancouver.

Ottawa has said it can save about $20 million a year with the cuts. But health groups and refugee advocates, such as Ottawa's Dr. Alison Eyre, said the move is unfair and hurts refugees when they need help the most.

"When people come new to Canada, they need help, that's one of the times they need the great amount of support, particularly refugees who have left everything," Eyre told CTV's Canada AM Monday.

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Protesters target planned cuts to refugee health care