Canada's health care system is hopelessly sclerotic. We need to wake up: Neil Macdonald

Either we fund it all properly, which means more taxes, or we allow people to spend their money on their own care, which is un-Canadian, but is what the rest of the world does. Even in Scandinavia. (Ashley Burke/CBC News)

It has been considered that the health system of Canada is irremediably sclerotic. Therefore, we need to wake up and that’s it. In fact, we should stop bragging about our health care system and start screaming about it.

Many patients are at the commercial end of the health care system. Canadians boast a lot of it: a large and crowded room full of injured people, where some of them scream profusely and in the same way there are very few employees in sight. Usually, patients hear a voice on the public address system that makes deliberately incomprehensible announcements: Blue Code, White Code, code, whatever.

It should be noted that these patients in the midst of pain only expect to be treated and, of course, they expect to be informed of what exactly happens with them and how they could improve. 

However, they remain in a long wait where they do not even receive an answer about what happens to them or at least a treatment that really helps them. Although the pain of many reaches such a point that makes them scream, they are not taken care of properly.

Terrible attention that certainly shames

Various doctors have constantly apologized privately for the sclerotic system here. In fact, according to a specialist, if the waiting line is longer than a month it is no longer medical attention, it is a game because people die on waiting lists. Try to argue with that.

It should be noted that a well-known and former doctor in Ottawa who now runs a lighting store abandoned medicine because he felt he could not adequately care for his patients. They should put paid doctors, he says, so we would not have to rush them or refuse to discuss more than one problem per visit.

Now, if we refer to the United States, it is well known that US surgeons and doctors. They usually give out their cell phone numbers and tell their patients to call at any time if something goes wrong. In fact, they often call to follow up after a visit, or to review the results of the tests.

Now, it is necessary to say that our population is getting older and without doubt more of us will need those hospitals every year. The rationing of our practical system, but pretends that it will not become more serious. That is why it is necessary to wake up now, so yell at your politicians.

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Source: Neil Macdonald | CBC News