I just finished reading Tom Green's book: Hollywood Causes Cancer. Yeah, I know - I'm an ecclectic reader - Tom Green's book and the Sifaoui book on Al Qaeda. I thoroughly enjoyed the book.
An excerpt from Tom's book hit the nail right on the head about our healthcare system:
"First of all, there was the problem of the Canadian health-care system. Ostensibly a universal plan that covers everyone and any medical contingency, in reality it is full of holes. A lot of Canadian doctors move to the United States to earn more, and the hospitals are often backed up, understaffed, and overstressed. In my dad's case, once his cancer had been diagnosed, his first surgicl appointment was set three and a half months in the future. When I had testicular cancer, my first operation to get my testicle removed was two days later. To me, that was a frightening difference." - Tom Green, Hollywood Causes CancerTom gets it. He flew his dad to the states. His dad was treated in 3 weeks. For all of you that worship the Canadian healthcare system as a Canadian value, it is no wonder you have an inferiority complex!
Do not think this is an exception. A friend of mine has an ovarian tumour that was discovered in early May and her appointment is in October. How comfortable would you be waiting 5 months to find out whether it is malignant? And, if it is, the 5 months would be a death sentence. It is time to stop the fearmongering and reform the system - Canadians are dying for it.
7 comments:
Although I agree with you that the system needs fixing, my nephew in winnipeg has cancer and he has received both prompt and excellent care. If they had to pay directly for his care, he'd be dead.
The point isn't whether some people get good care, the point is that a societal health care system should give uniformly good care to all that are sick. The point that sick people cannot get insurance makes no sence either since we brought in "Medicare" to look after the poor, chronically sick, and frail elderly (in other words---THOSE THAT ARE UNABLE TO LOOK AFTER THEMSELVES)Insurance possibilities should be there for those who want to be insured for unexpected illnesses ( but the system MUST be there fore specified vulnerable groups within society). If both scenarios existed and did their jobs, we would have the best of both worlds. The weakness of the Monopolistic Universal system is that it is trying to be too many things for too many people (everything to everybody). And please don't say the wealthy will get better care; right now, supporters of the status quo say money isn't the issue so why would money in a private parallel system make a difference in the care the patient receives? Why does more money in a private system increase access and care but doesn't do the same thing in a public system? And saving some people while killing others in the same system (unbenownsed to the victim) doesn't speak well of a Canadian Value!
Rose: I am happy that your nephew is one of the lucky ones. I know many who were not. Rolling the dice hoping you get a good doctor who is not overworked, understaffed etc as well as hoping you are one of the ones who doesn't have to wait very long on the list for tests and surgery is not the way to deal with healthcare. The even scarier part is you have no idea if you are at risk because you don't know if the system is being cost-effective based on ratios.
The point being is there should be a public system for those who need it. However, the system is a mess and there is no alternative unless you can afford to go to the US. So, here in Canada, you roll the dice and hope you luck out in a broken system.
Actually, they are lucky. It was his family physician that found it. I've mostly heard success stories from friends with cancer and my mom, but perhaps people I know are on a lucky streak. I have to get a bone scan and had to wait almost 16 months for it, so there's some suckage right there. Luckily I don't have cancer!
Cancer trearment was covered by the government long before Medicare and there were relatively no waiting lists. Fifty- five years ago I remember my grandmother having treatments at the cancer clinic and she didn't have to pay. With other areas demanding money from government (infrastructure, education, etc) and the government looking to take on even more (some kind of "universal" day care), the average citizen had better get pretty astute as to whether they are getting the appropriate access and care.
During the cancer diagnosis doctors look for the site of origin of the tumor and the type of cells. Cancers arise in any organ. The body site, where cancer develops first, is the primary site. The spreads (metastasizes) then. Common cancers include skin, lungs, breasts, prostate, colon and uterine tumors. There are many signs and symptoms of cancer. Doctors may find tumors directly, by X-ray or MRI imaging, or through lab tests.
However, these signs and symptoms of cancer may mimic other diseases. Weight loss and abdominal pain may mean stomach cancer or an ulcer. Weight loss and swollen lymph nodes may mean lymphoma or AIDS or tuberculosis. Blood in urine is a sign of bladder or kidney cancer or a kidney infection. Blood in stool is a sign of many bowel problems, not just cancer. Benign looking skin mole may be deadly melanoma. Doctors often need a biopsy (microscopic check of tissues samples) to diagnose cancer. The cancer type is found by microscopic examination. If the type is different from surrounding tissue, the cancer came from another primary site. Metastases can spread directly or through blood vessels, and lymphatic vessels. Biopsy helps to find the primary site. Treatment also depends on the cancer cell type. Cells could be more or less differentiated and originate from different layers of the same organ. If the cancer cells resemble healthy, mature cells, they are differentiated. Undifferentiated cells look like very immature primitive cells. Checking the differentiation allows doctors to know how aggressive the cancer is. Grade one cancer is less aggressive than grade four usually.
Also doctors classify cancers by stage. Stage depends on the size and spreading of the tumor. Stage determines the mode of treatment - Whether it is surgical, radiation, chemotherapy and so on. RDoctor.com.
ummmm....what the.
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