Canadians Ask Help to Get More Doctors
An association of Canadian doctors is urging the government to provide $1 billion Canadian (US$765 million) to help combat a national shortage of health care workers. At its annual meeting in Toronto on Tuesday, the Canadian Medical Association said health-reform experts have identified shortfalls among all types of physicians, nurses and technicians as a major obstacle to reducing long waiting lists for procedures that include joint replacement, heart bypass and cancer care.
One more example of what happens when the government overrides the rule of economics, that being that price is a function of supply and demand Why not try free market capilalism?
The thing about health care professionals is that they (mostly) care. Yes, they are human and can be motivated by the almighty dollar — however, at least from my perspective, no dollar amount is worth it if I feel like my professional integrity and ethics are being compromised by working within a system that undermines the quality of the care that they are able to deliver. Sorry to say, but doctors and nurses aren’t waiting to line up and be slaves to their government.
The ‘free national health care’ which Kerry has said Americans deserve is not free. It is paid, upfront, by value-added taxing. It creates a system whereby the American citizen is dependant upon the government for their life. Some bureaucrat makes the decision on who is most deserving of treament. In this nationalized health care plan - there are no private doctors. Just recently, Canada made it illegal to pay a doctor privately - forcing the public to go to government run hospitals and providers…creating long waiting lines for treaments that people need.
Do you think National Health Care is free? Try asking one of our Canadian neighbors how much is being taken out of their income, in terms of taxes, so that they can live in a country with ‘free’ health care.
Maybe it’s a Social Security conspiracy? National Health care has one advantage. You don’t get as many sick old people. They die off while waiting in the queues for treatment. These days, we have more retirees than workers.
How to address SS the third rail of politics? National Health. Kill ‘em off by rationing care. Those who aren’t healthy will kick the bucket.
Population control courtesy of your nation’s Democrats.
11:17 am on August 18th, 2004
SS would be the GREATEST “retirement” plan in the world if our own government representatives had to participate in it.
Since they don’t have to pay into it, they don’t really care what happens to it.
4:10 pm on August 18th, 2004
This is all true, but I fear that Republicans are taking us down this very path almost as eagerly as are the Dems. Witness the recent prescription drug entitlement, the largest new giveaway in some of our lifetimes.
12:46 am on August 19th, 2004
Sister is a nurse in Canada, BSN, had a horrible time getting a job first few years cause there were no jobs.Why, you may ask? Cause the systems virtually bankrupt and they can’t afford to hire them. Got a serious condition that needs to be treated now, go across the border to the U.S.. Need an organ transplant, go to the U.S. or die waiting.
12:47 am on August 19th, 2004
Please correct my typos, I can see it’s time for sleep.
12:51 am on August 19th, 2004
Typos corrected
The Canadian system just isn’t all it’s cracked up to be - - not for the patient’s and not for the staff providing the “care”.
7:34 pm on August 19th, 2004
Ummm…I’ve read a lot of stuff from right wing American commentators about our system…most of it dead wrong. Can’t claim to be an expert in it. But there’s a reason we hang on to this system…we like it, and by and large, it works. Even with its warts, I’m afraid you won’t find too many of us interested in swapping ours for yours.
7:38 pm on August 19th, 2004
That it works for you, Bal - it great. And just like you, I don’t wish to let go of ours to swap it for nationalized plan. Ours has it’s warts, as well. Dealing with the HMO’s are hell for practitioners, as well as patients - however, we always have the option of going private if we can, and choose to.
10:41 pm on August 19th, 2004
The more I think about it, the more I think the only way to fix Social Security is to tell people that they can’t have it until they’re 75. But what needs reform the most is not health insurance–it’s tort liability laws, since that’s what drives up the cost of everything in the healthcare system.
Since we have a government by the lawyers, of the lawyers, and for the lawyers, I’m not holding my breath on that one.
7:41 pm on October 25th, 2004
Let the Games Begin
To address some of the issues that you have raised: I can’t speak for Mark, but I have decided to vote for President Bush…
Well, we might as well get things started off on a lively note. Thanks, Erin