Now that we’re all to be saddled with Canadian-style universal health care, consider this story from the Canada Free Press about an 85-year old woman who required surgery for a broken hip. The operating hours at her local hospital in British Columbia had been cut. Orthopedic surgeons were in the middle of a fee dispute with the Interior Health Authority and limiting their on-call availability for emergency cases. Since her injury wasn’t considered life-or limb-threatening, the available options were to wait in pain for a future date to have her hip replaced, or to be transferred by ambulance to a hospital 3 hours away.
According to Canadian orthopedic surgeon Dr. Andre DeGreef, hip fractures aren’t always considered urgent cases, even among the elderly. “If there is no blood vessel or nerve involved, then it can wait a day or two. The only hassle is that it is painful. You can’t move and, with old people, they can easily get pneumonia and stuff like that.”
Have the rationing and shortages associated with Canada’s universal health care system made this doctor seemingly dispassionate about the pain and suffering of patients? Can we expect the same shortages, rationing and dispassionate treatment when the major policy provisions of Congress’ health care reform law firmly take hold?
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2 comments:
It seems like dedicated socialists can at least kinda/sorta make socialism work - the peons are more willing to "take one for the team." But throw in a little American stubbornness, individualism and "me first!ism" and we'll be LUCKY to end up with a socialized medical system that works as well as Canada's. (not that it works that well)
We're in big trouble...
Inno, do you remember the piece Steven Crowder did about Canada's health care system? Judging by that, and other stories I've read, their system is nothing to emulate. We're in big trouble, indeed.
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