Barbie
04-16-2003, 08:31 PM
Some people aren't aware of the state of the Canadian Health (s)Care - in fact, there are alot of people who brag about it as being better than others.
Does THIS (http://www.cbc.ca/stories/2003/04/16/sackville_babies030416) seem like something Canadians should be bragging about?
Conversely, the Alberta Gov't has been on attack by other Provincial Gov'ts and the Federal Gov't for leaning more and more to Private Health Care in Alberta - creating a two tier system and just recently submitted their budget for the coming year.
HERE (http://www.gov.ab.ca/acn/200304/14170_6.html)
Just today on the news it was reported that Midwifery is declining in many provinces at an alarming rate. Though recognized in these provinces are *Essential Services/Practices* they are not Publicly Funded. A family can pay out of pocket $2500.00 for this service here in Alberta, where in some other Provinces such as Ontario, it's covered.
Where is the balance across the board?
Waiting times to have other *Essential Services* such as MRI, CT, Laser Blasting and even simple ultrasounds, where in my case, had I had it sooner than the 3 month waiting list, might not have had to have all the treatments and surgeries that devilishly awaited me. Had things been "caught" sooner, the out come would have been more positive.
Our Federal Government couldn't even come to a final decision on our Northern Provinces HealthCare budgets - now leaving Yukon, North West Territories and Nunavet in the dark alone, isolated from the rest of the Country...and we still have people bragging about our Health Care System.
Canada does NOT have a good Health Care System.
By PAUL WALDIE
Thursday, October 31, 2002 – Page A11
Calgary's regional health authority is considering opening a privately funded surgical clinic to help reduce hospital waiting lists.The Calgary Health Region, which operates four hospitals, has asked businesses to provide information on the construction and operation of an arthroscopy and sports-medicine surgical facility.
The clinic would perform knee and joint operations, which take up about 8 per cent of the hospitals' operating-room time.It would have amenities that could include a range of other medical services, shops, restaurants and a hotel.The clinic would be among the first of its kind in Canada, and is part of a growing trend by Canadian hospitals to seek private partnerships.This month, the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority announced plans to construct a $90-million out-patient facility, to be built, owned and maintained by the private sector.
The Ontario government has plans for two private-public facilities, including a 608-bed acute-care hospital in Brampton, Ont.A health-care report released this week by a Senate committee headed by Senator Michael Kirby calls for changes to hospital financing, to permit more competition and greater flexibility and to allow private partnerships.The report says that private, for-profit hospitals and clinics operating under medicare would not weaken the health-care system.Mark Scharf, director of business development for the Calgary Health Region, said that the jurisdiction, like others across Canada, is searching for new ways to cut waiting lists while keeping costs under control.
"We are trying not to be prescriptive; we are trying to say what are the opportunities out there in terms of values to this organization under a publicly funded system."
Mr. Scharf added that the region is considering all options for the new clinic, including having private companies build and manage the facility, as well as allowing them to provide consumer products and services not covered by medicare.
Doctors from the region's hospitals would perform operations not requiring overnight stays.
The region's hospitals performed 1,591 joint-replacement operations last year but had 750 people on a waiting list, a 19-per-cent increase over the previous year.The region has 55 operating rooms; four are used for knee and joint operations that could be done in the new clinic, said Tracy Wasylak, executive director of the Calgary Health Region's Rockyview Hospital.
"With our growing population and our service demand, we are trying to find ways to be able to deliver surgical access in an innovative way that improves our waiting lists," Ms. Wasylak said.
"We have 55 operating rooms, and they are all used. We have no more ORs in the city to grow our surgical volume."Robert Abernethy, the medical director of Rockyview, added that hospitals have to consider all options.
"If we can move this bulk of procedures into a different facility, it opens up four more ORs in the hospital, and then we can address wait lists," he said.
Critics have said these clinics would not solve any problems."I don't think in the long-term contracting out these surgeries is going to save money," said Harvey Voogd of the Friends of Medicare, an Edmonton-based organization.He said studies have failed to prove that public-private partnerships provide benefits for the public. "The results are at best inconclusive."Mr. Voogd said there are questions as to whether these facilities would meet the terms and spirit of the Canada Health Act.
Private Surgical Facilities Pushed (http://www.globeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/PEstory/TGAM/20021031/UMEDIM/Health/health/health_temp/3/3/6/)
Does THIS (http://www.cbc.ca/stories/2003/04/16/sackville_babies030416) seem like something Canadians should be bragging about?
Conversely, the Alberta Gov't has been on attack by other Provincial Gov'ts and the Federal Gov't for leaning more and more to Private Health Care in Alberta - creating a two tier system and just recently submitted their budget for the coming year.
HERE (http://www.gov.ab.ca/acn/200304/14170_6.html)
Just today on the news it was reported that Midwifery is declining in many provinces at an alarming rate. Though recognized in these provinces are *Essential Services/Practices* they are not Publicly Funded. A family can pay out of pocket $2500.00 for this service here in Alberta, where in some other Provinces such as Ontario, it's covered.
Where is the balance across the board?
Waiting times to have other *Essential Services* such as MRI, CT, Laser Blasting and even simple ultrasounds, where in my case, had I had it sooner than the 3 month waiting list, might not have had to have all the treatments and surgeries that devilishly awaited me. Had things been "caught" sooner, the out come would have been more positive.
Our Federal Government couldn't even come to a final decision on our Northern Provinces HealthCare budgets - now leaving Yukon, North West Territories and Nunavet in the dark alone, isolated from the rest of the Country...and we still have people bragging about our Health Care System.
Canada does NOT have a good Health Care System.
By PAUL WALDIE
Thursday, October 31, 2002 – Page A11
Calgary's regional health authority is considering opening a privately funded surgical clinic to help reduce hospital waiting lists.The Calgary Health Region, which operates four hospitals, has asked businesses to provide information on the construction and operation of an arthroscopy and sports-medicine surgical facility.
The clinic would perform knee and joint operations, which take up about 8 per cent of the hospitals' operating-room time.It would have amenities that could include a range of other medical services, shops, restaurants and a hotel.The clinic would be among the first of its kind in Canada, and is part of a growing trend by Canadian hospitals to seek private partnerships.This month, the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority announced plans to construct a $90-million out-patient facility, to be built, owned and maintained by the private sector.
The Ontario government has plans for two private-public facilities, including a 608-bed acute-care hospital in Brampton, Ont.A health-care report released this week by a Senate committee headed by Senator Michael Kirby calls for changes to hospital financing, to permit more competition and greater flexibility and to allow private partnerships.The report says that private, for-profit hospitals and clinics operating under medicare would not weaken the health-care system.Mark Scharf, director of business development for the Calgary Health Region, said that the jurisdiction, like others across Canada, is searching for new ways to cut waiting lists while keeping costs under control.
"We are trying not to be prescriptive; we are trying to say what are the opportunities out there in terms of values to this organization under a publicly funded system."
Mr. Scharf added that the region is considering all options for the new clinic, including having private companies build and manage the facility, as well as allowing them to provide consumer products and services not covered by medicare.
Doctors from the region's hospitals would perform operations not requiring overnight stays.
The region's hospitals performed 1,591 joint-replacement operations last year but had 750 people on a waiting list, a 19-per-cent increase over the previous year.The region has 55 operating rooms; four are used for knee and joint operations that could be done in the new clinic, said Tracy Wasylak, executive director of the Calgary Health Region's Rockyview Hospital.
"With our growing population and our service demand, we are trying to find ways to be able to deliver surgical access in an innovative way that improves our waiting lists," Ms. Wasylak said.
"We have 55 operating rooms, and they are all used. We have no more ORs in the city to grow our surgical volume."Robert Abernethy, the medical director of Rockyview, added that hospitals have to consider all options.
"If we can move this bulk of procedures into a different facility, it opens up four more ORs in the hospital, and then we can address wait lists," he said.
Critics have said these clinics would not solve any problems."I don't think in the long-term contracting out these surgeries is going to save money," said Harvey Voogd of the Friends of Medicare, an Edmonton-based organization.He said studies have failed to prove that public-private partnerships provide benefits for the public. "The results are at best inconclusive."Mr. Voogd said there are questions as to whether these facilities would meet the terms and spirit of the Canada Health Act.
Private Surgical Facilities Pushed (http://www.globeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/PEstory/TGAM/20021031/UMEDIM/Health/health/health_temp/3/3/6/)