How to Cure the Health Care Crisis in Canada
There is only one solution to fix the health care crisis in Canada. It doesn't have anything to do with funding more studies that cost taxpayers millions of dollars, nor does it require reports, consultants, committees, subcommittees, boards, focus groups, or any other useless type of input or expense.
Health care is mostly available to the masses from 8:30 to 4:30 Monday to Friday. It is during these peak times when most of the doctors work. Most tests are performed during these times as well. It's human nature - people just generally want to work in the day and have their evenings and weekends free. Wouldn't you? However, heaven forbid we get sick or hurt after hours.
The general population gets blamed for going to the emergency room for a serious condition which is the only option they have after hours or if they don't have access to a doctor or can't get into see their own family physician. These sick or hurt individuals have no other option but to show up at the emergency room.
Keep in mind, these peak hours are a problem, but they're not the main problem.
Our aging population is clogging up the hospitals and clinics. The first baby boomers are now in their sixties (at the time of this article) which will put a further strain on health care. But everybody gets old! That's not their fault for being old nor is it the main reason for the health care crisis in Canada.
When you go to the emergency room, who is it that you are really going to see? Is it the nurse, or the intake worker, or is it the maintenance worker? Who has to see you, and sign off on you, every visit? If you go to the emergency room and there is only one or two doctors, how long do you think you'll have to wait? Lets put it this way - we shouldn't be building bigger emergency waiting rooms.
What profession is the epitomé of health care? Which group of health care professionals are increasingly allowing other health care professionals to do aspects of their job?
So the solution is: if we want to cure the health care crisis in Canada, we'll need more doctors. Lots more. We will need to flood the health care system with doctors.
However, doctors will need to work differently. They will need to add more responsibilities to their care for patients and not be allowed to pass those responsibilities on to anybody else.
More doctors, than at present, will need to work beyond 4:30 p.m. Health care is a 24 hour operation.
They should also have to sign a contract when they get out of medical school for a commitment to stay in Canada for at least 10 years and for a certain number to work in rural areas.
Would this cost more money? Well, not really. Having more doctors around would require less of other staff. That would save money. Besides, it's supply and demand. The more doctors you have, the less money you would need to pay them.
The biggest dangers to health care is:
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not enough doctors
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doctors relinquishing duties
When it comes to emergency rooms, bigger is not better. You could build an emergency room large enough to put 10 football fields in it, but if you staff it with one or two doctors, you're going to get backlogged.
These changes would require a major shift in thinking and resources. Is anybody going to have the political will to follow this? One thing is for sure: we don't need another report on the report that was reported on in the report.... reportedly.
The solution is easy and involves common sense. When you have a health care problem at any hour of the day or night, who is it that you are really going to see? The person who graduated from medical school.
You see, a report to increase the effectiveness of our health care system doesn't have to cost a lot of money. This one was free!
written by James W. McGraw (mdbys.com) Jan 18/08
Commission on the Future of Health Care in Canada - Final Report
Canadian Institute for Health Information