70-week wait for N.W.T. kids to see hearing specialist unacceptable, says MLA (Canada)

Yahoo News ^ | 10/17/2018 | CBC

[aimhigh]

The average wait time for children to see an audiologist in the Northwest Territories is 70 weeks, a number Frame Lake MLA Kevin O'Reilly says is unacceptable.

"A wait time over 70 weeks? That's over a year," he said. "Kids, they could be in school over a year, miss a grade, without their proper hearing or being assessed, and that doesn't seem right."

O'Reilly first started looking for this information for a constituent and raised the issue in the N.W.T. Legislative Assembly Tuesday, asking questions about government data he'd been provided by the territory's health department.

[aimhigh]

Gee, what a wonderful health care system Canada has! /sarc/

[dp0622]

Hey. Once I realized I had a hearing problem it took THIRTY SIX hours to see a hearing specialist.

And ANOTHER 3 days to see an audiologist and another WEEK to get the hearing aid.

Capitalism is horrible!!!

/S

[max americana]

My aunt is Sask had to wait 8 months for a simple damn MRI and my cousin in Vancouver was on the wait list for 5 months for knee surgery.

In addition, if you go to America for quick surgery because you couldnt wait, the provincial ministry will deliberately hold back the medical info to their US counterparts out of spite. AND punish you with more red tape crap because they find it insulting you would go to the Yanks for help. I’m ex-canuck so Im not talking out of my ass here..

[Mark17]

Ain’t socialism grand? NOT

[gitmo]

They wait 70 weeks to see a hearing specialist!!
How long do they wait to hear a seeing specialist?

[max americana]

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/hospital-turns-tim-hortons-into-temporary-er-to-handle-overflow-of-patients/article569059/

free donuts when they operate on you. dont get sick in BC.

[Lurkina.n.Learnin]

This is unpossible. Canada’s healthcare is superior to ours in every way. It’s free also. Doesn’t cost anyone anything.

[Dr. Sivana]

My aunt is Sask had to wait 8 months for a simple damn MRI and my cousin in Vancouver was on the wait list for 5 months for knee surgery.

My wife's family is in Saskatchewan and Alberta. I can vouch for what he said (except I didn't know about slow-walking records to the U.S.) and much more. If you have a serious diagnosis, like cancer, and want to customize or supplement your plan, you get put to the bottom. Often, strong treatments go on needlessly, because they won't test to see if you still need it.

The article speaks of scarce resources in the Northwest Territory. Frankly, capitalism may not work so well for those who want to get their treatment there, just too few people spreas over in insanely vast region. The horror stories I relay take place in Edmonton and Regina, not exactly unpopulated.

[reg45]

It’s worth everything you pay for it - namely nothing.

[Secret Agent Man]

They dont mind when its mostly white kids that will not see doctors.

[the_daug]

I was working in Manitoba and mentioned their free health care to a waitress her response was Hmph! After my husband was put on a 180 day waiting list for an MRI we took out a mortgage and went to Rochester MN. and he had an MRI the day after we got there. He would be dead if we hadn’t done that.

[Chode]

a few minutes in a sound proof box, doesn't get much easier... and they can't even manage that

[Sgt_Schultze]

An oldie, but still relevant... free market cure

[Jeff Chandler]

Are there any models anywhere of similar sparsely populated areas where the medicals needs are well served by a capitalist system? I’ll bet there are.

[Gritty]

It may be slow, but at least it's free.

I'm sure the hearing aids are free, too.

[Dr. Sivana]

Are there any models anywhere of similar sparsely populated areas where the medicals needs are well served by a capitalist system? I’ll bet there are.

Northern Alaska would be the obvious parallel. The Northwest Territory has 45,000 people spread over 500,000 square miles. That over 10 square miles PER PERSON. 20,000 of theme are in Yellowknife, but after that it gets crazy sparse.

I suspect there are parts of Alaska that don't see an audiologist that often. If you are that remote, and want service, you are more or less obliged to drive or fly to it.

[Trump_the_Evil_Left]

FREE hearing aids for all Canadians who need one:

[Mr Ramsbotham]

You might not get any, but at least it’s “free.”

[lastchance]

I was thinking the long wait time might have to do more with the vastness of the territory and lack of resources rather than a abject failure of the Canada’s health care system.