May 29th, 2018
It is tragic how the Canadian provincial and federal governments spend millions upon millions of taxpayer dollars on things they should not be spending - all the time telling us that we have a great health care system. WE DO NOT...and you find out the true fact of that when you HAVE to wait to be seen, find a doctor, wait for a test, then wait to see a specialist, and wait again for surgery. That time span, in some specialty areas can span 2-3+ years of waiting in pain, with the stress of uncertainty and the wait time further complicating and compromising your health. In other areas, waits of 6+ months are not uncommon and are getting to be the norm. In some cases, the specialist you've been waiting for retires! The only way you get to be seen faster is when your situation becomes a health crisis and you enter through hospital emergency doors and are admitted. Then you are urgent care for something that could have been treated at a different level for less dollars.
Currently I am waiting 5 months - yes, FIVE months for an abdominal ultra sound under the B.C. provincial health care system. That is nothing but criminal. And as Canadians, we have very little alternative. Am I upset, you bet I am. Is it going to get worse, you bet it is....a lot worse. If I was in any other developed country, I would have had my ultra sound by now and seen a specialist, if that was required. You can die in Canada just wait listed for testing, let alone, the time it takes afterwards to see a specialist and then get on their surgery list, if that is what is required.
And, all provinces or provincial regions do not have the same service, level of care or access. Again, that is not right. More and more in Canada, it depends on where you live and often times who you know to get fast access and good quality health service. Politicians and those rich enough and closer to the taxpayer money trough do not know how bad it is for Canadians...and of course, we never complain. We are a very accepting lot and so often just accept what is.
Canadians in all provinces require full private health care options. People can then make decisions right for them. Sometimes it may be fine to wait, other times not. But for every person who does not wait in our current system, it frees up space and time for those who cannot afford to pay for private tests; thereby making the system move forward. Not perfect, but for those who cannot pay for private testing or health service, they will receive faster service by people opting out.
More and more Canadians who cannot wait our current system are paying and travelling out of country for a host of different procedures that can and should be done much closer to their home. Doing this often puts their own health at further risk and as well, there is no insurance company will insure your travel for health care while out of country.
Many more tax dollars need to be spent on health care. Health care at all levels needs to be priority #1. If not, our so called "valued" system will very soon completely decay. Thank you for allowing me to vent. But more than venting is going to solve Canada's terrible health care problem...and in particular British Columbia's. Priority ACTION right now with mega dollar infusions into health care is required at all levels....but that would mean that our governments would have to STOP their spending wheel on other less important and 'pet' items and actually be accountable and work for their gold clad pensions.
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