Canada's Healthcare Crisis

A major backbone of Canada is falling apart, and much of it is from poor policy decisions that has led to a serious doctor shortage. 

Mary Fernando, MD, wrote about it. 

"A personal post in two parts: 1. Someone I love needs a specialist but wait times are dangerously long because of our specialist shortage. 2. As a doctor who resisted large money offers from the US to stay in Canada, I've lost something more important than money: my family's safety. 

I've worked on a solution; my team has put in hours of volunteer time because it...
* Fits within existing budgets
* Has over 90% doctor support
* Puts Canada at par with other countries.

I've taken it to the House of Commons and the Senate, but Health Minister Mark Holland refuses to meet. . . . No party has a platform to address the doctor shortage. They may have ones to address other issues, but, without enough doctors, no one is safe."

Mary's not prepared to release her plan publicly quite yet.

Many commenters there pointed out that it's a provincial issue because they're in charge of healthcare, but it's Canada wide. BC is facing the same issues as Ontario despite having an NDP government. 

One commenter, Adiane, responded about Mary's plan and in response to a headline from the Vancouver Sun: "Why are 15 times more Canadians than Californians choosing assisted death?" 

"I would love to hear it - the horrible healthcare in this country has at best taken decades off my life, and at worst it will soon end it. . . . It's NOT a mystery why so many more Canadians do MAiD when their health deteriorates. The healthcare system is ABYSMAL! You can't get quality, timely, compassionate care. The hospitals are inhumane. LTC worse. Living with severe illness in this country is HORRIFIC." 

More recently, a Canadian man who is quadriplegic chose MAiD after being stuck in the ER for four days - 95 hours straight on a stretcher - causing horrific bedsores. He was in the hospital for help with his "third respiratory virus in three months." These viruses are causing a greater influx in the hospitals AND, at the same time, we have fewer resources to help anybody. 

Then, from Dr. Nancy Olivieri:

"'This is the road we're going down. Doesn't matter that no one voted for it and no one wants it.' In 1955, my grandfather paid what would have been $16,000 in 2023 for one hospital admission. Tommy warned us the 'subtle strangulation' of Medicare. We are witnessing it."