This week I learned something that I had always suspected about my fellow Canadians: when it comes to healthcare, they don’t know their ass from their elbow. at least that’s the broad conclusion of an Ipsos-Reid poll conducted on behalf of the Canadian Medical association.
all one seems to hear from Canadians these days is how "sacred" our public healthcare system is and how it would be "un-Canadian" to entertain any changes in the system, other than throwing more money into the pot.
The poll asked respondents to rate Canada’s healthcare system against 29 other countries in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. The perception among most Canadians was that Canada’s publicly funded healthcare system ranks among the best in the world. according to the poll, Canadians rank Canada 13th out of the 30 countries when it comes to the number of physicians available to the populace. In actuality, Canada is very near the bottom, ranking 26th out of the 30 countries.
another interesting item to emerge from the poll is that Canadians do not realize that the private sector accounts for one third of all healthcare dollars spent in Canada. Healthcare spending in Canada is currently in the area of $130 billion per year, with $39 billion paid by the patients or their insurers.
The significance of the poll results would indicate that the Liberal government, which chooses to discuss the country’s healthcare system in terms of jingoistic rhetoric, rather than entertain open and frank debate, has hoodwinked Canadians. It is impossible to talk about "fixing healthcare" while at the same time proscribing discussion of alternative methods of funding or delivering that care. It is analogous to being diagnosed with breast cancer, yet having a radical mastectomy ruled out on principle as a possible plan of treatment.
While most Canadians today are in reasonably good health and do not require medical intervention, it becomes a shock when such intervention becomes necessary, as waiting lists are the order of the day. Here are some examples of current average waiting times in Canada for receiving medical care:
Time between seeing a GP and specialist- 81/2 weeks
Time between seeing a GP and receiving treatment from a specialist- 18 weeks
Time spent waiting for orthopedic surgery- 38 weeks (!)
Time spent waiting for cardiac surgery- 11 weeks
Time Europeans and Japanese spend waiting for treatment under their publicly funded healthcare systems- 0 weeks
I believe there is something in the Canadian psyche that objects to the idea of anyone "making money" on healthcare. However, it betrays a basic misunderstanding of the nature of our healthcare system when one can believe with a straight face that the publicly funded system is not operated on the basis of personal gain. Doctors are paid, nurses are paid, laboratories (many of which are privately owned) are paid and all of them expect to do more than just feed their families.
The quirk in this country’s psyche is nurtured by our politicians, many of whom do not believe in the system enough to participate on a basis that’s equal to the rest of the citizenry. anyone doubting this need only look at how our prime minister is getting his health care at a private clinic in Quebec.
The recent ruling by the Supreme Court of Canada that waiting times have become "unreasonable" and therefore Quebec patients (and by implication all Canadians) should have the right to seek private care illustrates that our system isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be.
The fear mongering by the federal minister of health Ujjal Dosanjh isn’t helping matters very much. In a speech this summer following the Supreme Court’s ruling Dosanjh warned that any move toward privatization could lead down the slippery slope of individuals having to sell their homes in order to provide medical care for themselves or their family. This is fear-mongering and pandering of the highest order.
Rather than make incorrect pronouncements about where Canada stands in the provision of healthcare, Canadians would be well advised to learn more about the subject. Supporting erroneous propositions might make one feel good and help to keep unscrupulous politicians in power; it will do nothing to improve the current state of Canada’s healthcare system.