Posted on 04/10/2003 7:57:10 AM PDT by saluki_in_ohio
SARS forces Ontarians to U.S. for medical help
By Tom Blackwell The Ottawa Citizen
Thursday, April 10, 2003
TORONTO - Restrictions imposed on Ontario hospitals due to the threat of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome are pushing many Canadians to head south of the border for treatment or diagnostic testing, often at their own expense.
With elective surgeries and outpatient clinics suspended in Toronto-area hospitals, people are paying for MRI scans and other services in the United States themselves rather than wait at home.
The Ontario government has covered the costs of three surgeries in the U.S., fearing danger to the patients if they had to wait longer for the operation here.
"All of our front-office staff have said, 'Wow, are we running more commercials or something, because all of a sudden our Canadian calls have gone way up,' " said spokesman Kevin Burns of Buffalo MRI and CT.
MRI exams in Buffalo cost about $465 U.S., while full-body CAT scans run to as much as $900 U.S. Buffalo MRI says it can do the work within 24 hours.
The Ontario government closed two hospitals and froze most patient visits, elective surgery and clinics at other Toronto-area hospitals to contain the outbreak. Less-stringent limits were placed on other Ontario hospitals. James Young, the province's commissioner of public safety, said yesterday the government wants to start restoring those services, but warned it will happen gradually.
Meanwhile, close to 200 employees of an unnamed Toronto-area company were ordered into quarantine yesterday after an employee who was supposed to be in isolation repeatedly came to work while suffering SARS symptoms.
The incident and others prompted stern rebukes from officials who say their quarantine edicts must be obeyed to control the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome.
The public health department ordered a Toronto high school closed until next Tuesday after learning that a student who may have the illness attended school last week while symptomatic. The city's board of education closed an adjoining elementary school as a precaution.
Toronto health officials have also issued 20 letters of warning to quarantine violators, many of them companies that were ordering employees back to work before their 10-day isolation period had ended.
The number of suspect or probable cases rose by 10 yesterday and now stands at 242 across Canada. Among the five new suspect or probable cases in Ontario is an adopted baby brought back by couple from China at the end of March.
Oh really? Then explain this:
"As far as America-bashing by Canadians is concerned, well I think you could stand to have a little thicker skin. After all, if you're going to be the world's sole superpower and do whatever you want wherever you want in the world, it should hardly come as a surprise that some will resent you, even if that resentment is entirely rational. And as far as Canadians go, you try living next to a country whose population greatly outnumbers yours, whose culture tends to swamp yours, and who followed a doctrine called "Manifest Destiny" for many years that suggested that you wanted to (forcibly?) make us part of your country (yes, I know that was many years ago), and you might begin to understand the undercurrent of anti-Americanism in Canada. "
That *is* anti-American. As for your arrogance in pointing out gaul vs gall -- I'll stick with gaul -- it means more to me -- not only arrogance but cowardice -- just like Canada.
Canada has crossed the line, as far as I'm concerned. Canada is no different than Germany, France, Syria and Cuba. May you all feel the sting of American rath!!
Well said.
NO Canadians should be admitted to U.S. medical facilities anyway. I mean, they've got that GREAT socialized medicine, right???
I couldn't have said it better.
Good grief. What a bunch of helpless...
""We have come to a post-Cold War historic turning point. We have entered the era of a new civil war between the forces of freedom and the powers of Islamo-fascist and communist darkness, and once again the left is clearly detemined to take its stand on the other side. The good news is that America is back. Our military has performed superlatively. Our leadership has stood tall. We ourselves can celebrate over this and look confidently towards what lies ahead."
May I remind you that NONE of the 9/11 terrorists came from Canada. May I also remind you how reliant we are on Canada for stuff like oil, natural gas, electricity, etc. When we have blackouts across the country and gas for you car is hard to come by and the entire automotive sector has been closed - maybe then you'll realize the stupidity of the "close the border" nonsense...
First fact:
NONE of the 9/11 terrorists came through or had anything to do with Canada - we let them ALL in ourselves.
Fact two:
Canada is our largest trading partner - we buy and sell more stuff with them than any other country, including an enormous amount of the natural resources that keep our country running. Canada is the largest source of petroleum for the United States - more than Venezuela - more than Saudia Arabia. Don't you think "shutting the border" would be a stupid thing to do now? Or maybe you don't own a car?
Fact three:
I'm a New York City boy that despises stupidity in his fellow Freepers...
Not interested in facts? Yes, that was self-evident...
couple= a couple!
This is series!
BTW, I didn't know that we import more oil from Canada than any other country, unless I read what you wrote wrong. Interesting.
Furthermore, having just ridden the E,F,N and #7 trains, I'd like to know what you think should be done to contain SARS, if anything. What's your opinion?
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