Posted on 02/18/2005 9:09:37 AM PST by FormerACLUmember
Interesting.
I took a tour of Victoria on Vancouver Island last summer. It's the capitol of British Columbia and a pretty though touristy place to visit.
Our guide very proudly told us that Government employees were the largest group of workers on the island, followed by those working in the tourist industry. When we passed the hospital complex she very proudly stated that Vancouver Island residents could get every health service they required right there. In fact, they WERE NOT ALLOWED to travel anywhere else in Canada for health care--not even across the Sound to the huge city of Vancouver. They were stuck with local doctors.
I had recently had a corneal transplant, performed by the most qualified expert I could find in the USA. While researching who that might be, I came across a study of transplants done in that Victoria hospital. They had a failure rate three times as great as transplants performed in US hospitals and the patients interviewed complained of the long wait time before they could get in. I'd printed out that Canadian study and showed it to my surgeon. He literally sneered. Canada!
Sounds like some of the indentured servants are revolting and seeking better situations.
People who demand "free health care for all" never seem to understand that their demand implies a claim on other people's services. That sort of claim is the basis of slavery.
Sounds like the making of a sequel to the old TV series "Northern Exposure."
But the problem is, if you lived in this community, that the article talks about, you would have a two hour drive just to see a doctor to get a prescription.
Not a very good prospect if a real emergency came up.
Good point. That certainly is unfortunate. Maybe there's a quick program to get foreign doctors licensed in the US.
My guess is zero.
I work with one who threatened to. Actually it was his ultra - lib wife doc who was making those noises.
I was a mean conservative and said that I wished people who made those threats would follow through. Empty threats/ promises mean nothing and make me less likely to listen to anything they said.
The good news is that you get to not see the doctors for free.
I really enjoyed your first hand information about Canadian medical care, and can offer another to the discussion.
Fort Leavenworth military schools include many students and instructors from other countries. While we were there, the British liasson (sp) officer had a heart attack, and I distinctly remember he and his wife were desperate for his surgery to be done in Kansas City, rather than being sent back to London.
Gosh. I think we should adopt Canada's health care system for the USA. It rocks! ...except for the lack of physicians. Umm... Never mind.
"They may not have health care but I bet they all have health insurance."
...Exactly, don't you just love socialized medicine? Hillary's dream is a reality in Ontario, the state above her state.
The problem as I see it with Canada's doctor shortage stems from some really silly laws.
Canada needs doctors in rural areas but the socialist government has passed laws that just about guarantees that these shortage will never be filled.
It is almost impossible to get into a residency training program if you have not graduated from a Canadian or USA medical school.
Most medical school graduates from Canada or USA prefer to practice medicine here in the USA.
Why go to Canada and take a 50% pay cut and have to deal with inane laws that does not benefit patient or doctor.
Quite the sad commentary on socialized medicine in England, YaYa.
Meanwhile, even in the USA, it seems to me that the best policy is to do everything you can to prevent sickness and disease.
Hope you are well!
As long as the teachers can do CPR why do Canadians need doctors? Besides, there is always Doctors Without Borders...
hahahahahhahahahahah... priceless
That is certainly true. I once talked to an Eastern European who knew a lot of doctors who left from there to US or Canada. Almost none of the ones who went to Canada could get licensed to practise there. They either had to do something else (like driving taxis) or leave for USA to be doctors there.
The good things is that the Canadian government has noticed the problem now and is talking about relaxing rules for foreign doctors. There is a chance laws might become less silly...
a sense of humor among the hard working - irony will get you nothing, but softdrinks up your nose from sucking it up. Thanks. John Galt never was more profound.
HUGE percentage of Ontario has no "free" doctor. They get what they pay for. Not to mention being the only Western hemisphere SARS cesspool of infection last year.
I have a good friend who is refugee from the Canadian totalitarian system. He is a French Canadian M.D., and the situation is appalling for doctors in Quebec... rapidly becoming a frozen third world.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.