Long waits for elective surgery and privatization are the price Canadians must pay for their well-intentioned but fatally flawed public health care system, right?
Wrong.
In fact, the above conclusion cries out for a second opinion. That's because when it comes to surgical waitlists we are currently experiencing a 'Eureka' moment. Although waiting for surgery is the hottest political problem facing Canadian health care today, resorting to more private care in order to ensure timely access to health care isn't necessary.
Health, health care system, pharmacare
After the recent 15-hour strike at the IWK Hospital (the first there since 1981), the Nova Scotia government is once again considering legislation to "deal with" strikes in health care. But Premier Rodney MacDonald will look in vain for a magic wand to wield.
Secrecy has always been the norm in the pharmaceutical arena, but over the past decade it has taken on even greater significance as the funding of medical research has swung from something that was done to improve public health to something that is done for commercial gain.
Deregulation is one of neoliberalism's five big initiatives (free trade, privatization, service cuts, and tax cuts make up the rest). And it shows how successfully the neoliberals have framed the issue.
Who in their right mind would want more red tape?
Well, for starters, pretty much anyone who flies in Canada, eats food, drives a car, uses prescription drugs, or lives some place that could catch fire. That's just the short list.
The provincial government recently stated that user charges for emergency health care services provided at the new False Creek Urgent Care Centre are legal. Minister of Health George Abbott says he would not have any basis for legal action because the doctors providing urgent care at the clinic are from outside the province.
We would suggest the minister read his own legislation before making such pronouncements.
(Ottawa) Surgical waitlists can be dramatically cut if governments develop a strategy to scale up innovations already underway in the public health care system, says a new study released today.
Why Wait? Public Solutions to Cure Surgical Waitlists looks at groundbreaking projects in BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Ontario that have significantly reduced wait times for procedures such as hip and knee replacements, cataract surgery and others.
(Vancouver)
Surgical waitlists can be dramatically cut if the BC government takes
leadership by scaling up innovative projects already underway in the
public system, a new study says.
Les experts voient des menaces à l'horizon pour les soins de santé
REGINA—De toute évidence, l"intégrité du système d’assurance-santé du Canada est menacée sur plusieurs fronts et il est urgent d’agir, selon de grands experts réunis à l’occasion d’une conférence de deux jours pour corriger les problèmes auxquels fait face le système d’assurance-santé.
REGINA—The integrity of Canada's medicare system is being challenged on several clear and pressing fronts, say leading experts gathering for a two-day conference to fix Medicare.
Queue-jumping, extra-billing, two-tier U.S.-style health care, pending labour shortages, and lack of federal leadership pose serious threats to the future of Canada"s public health care, says Tommy Douglas' daughter, actress Shirley Douglas.