By Arthur Weinreb
Monday, January 15, 2007
Last Friday and Saturday, the National Post wrote about a woman with a potentially fatal heart condition. The 67-year-old woman will die if she doesn't undergo surgery to repair her aortic valve. But the unnamed woman is an illegal immigrant from St. Lucia and as such she has no access to government funded medical care. And she can't afford the $20,000-$50,000 that the surgery to correct the defect would cost.
The publicizing of the woman's plight has reignited the debate that arises from time to time about whether or not our publicly funded health care system should cover those who are residing in Canada illegally. Currently, hospitals must treat those in emergency situations but her condition is not in the same category as someone who has just collapsed from a stroke or has been hit by a car. If some people had their way, everyone who is physically present in Canada would have the same access to the full range of services that our medical system provides as do citizens and legal residents.
In the past, governments have always rejected the notion that our universal system of health care should be extended to those who are living in Canada without status. It's not that universal. And they should do so again.
The woman always has the option to return to the country of her citizenship. That will not guarantee that she will recover from her condition but it will put her in the same position as her fellow citizens of St. Lucia except for the fact that the vast majority of them haven't broken Canada's immigration laws. As unfortunate as it is, our health care system was never designed for or intended to be able to save the entire world from any and all medical conditions that they might have. If we are going to allow illegal immigrants to access our health care system that we are constantly being told is what defines us as Canadians, we might as well just abolish the notions of citizenship and permanent residency and simply treat everyone who is in the country equally. Citizenship cards could be handed out at a port of entry to anyone who wanted one. No doubt this would have great appeal for the "No one is illegal" crowd, but it will see Canada give up all control over who comes here and who doesn't and finish Canada off as a sovereign country.
The difference between a foreign national in Canada being a visitor or an immigrant has to do with the intention of that person, not the length of time that the person spends in the country although immigrant status may be inferred from a person being in the country for a long period of time. There is nothing to prevent a person entering Canada as a visitor, going to an immigration office and announcing they want to live here permanently (putting them in the category of an illegal immigrant) and then going to a hospital to have their necessary surgery performed for free before heading back home after they have recovered. Putting illegals under our health care system merely opens it up to abuse.
There is also an argument to be made that surgery should not be performed on this woman even if she has the ability to pay for it. We are constantly being told by politicians (not surprisingly by those who happen to be in opposition) that our health care system is under funded, under staffed and overcrowded. Allowing illegals and those who reside in other countries to access our system by paying cash will drain Canada's already overcrowded system. There are thousands of wealthy people who live in third world countries where they have been diagnosed as being terminal but who could live a long and normal life if they could just come to Canada and have a two-hour operation. And who will the overcrowded hospitals give priority to -- the person with a trunk full of cash or the one with a plastic card? We all know the answer.
Anyone who has at least a bit of compassion naturally feels sorry for this woman from St. Lucia who is facing an early death that she would not be facing were she a Canadian citizen or legal resident. But we can't go down the road of making those who break our laws de facto citizens. And we can't save the world.
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