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This is the speech that I took with me
to the Knights of Columbus Provincials.
I got a Participant award.
This speech is a bit of a mess.
 

THE STATE
OF THE
HEALTH CARE

SYSTEM IN
CANADA

                                                                  One day, a young boy waists while doctors debate as to whether or not his leg will have to be amputated. His parents cannot afford the surgery needed to save the leg and all hope is lost until a prominent Doctor takes interest in the boy's case and operates on the leg for free. As Canadian hospitals struggle to stay afloat, can we honestly say that Canada provides that best health care in the world, while it falls apart at the seams. Good Evening Ladies and gentlemen, Fellow Speakers, Knights of Columbus, and Honourable Judges. I'm here to speak to you this evening about the problems that plague the Health Care System in Canada.

                        Tommy Douglas, the father of our Medicare System, was the young boy who's experiences became the driving force behind what is considered to be the most progressive social program that Canada has ever seen: The Canadian Universal Medicare System. What has made this system so revolutionary is that anyone can receive first-class medical attention, no matter what their financial situation is. In theory, it's a comforting reassurance of our economic wealth, but after thirty years in practice, the five pillars which medicare is based on are not as solid as they use to be.

                      The first condition of medicare, Public Funding, is that the money the health care system receives is tied to the nation's economy and just how much is determined by how rich, or poor, Canada is. Between 1971 and 1990, health care received a steady increase in funding every year. This money was used to build new hospitals, but new equipment, and hire new doctors. But when the recession hit in 1991, funding was stopped as government scrambled to fix the failing economy. Politicians were confident that after the recession was over, health care would re-emerge as the strong symbol of the Canadian identity that it once was. Instead, it has yet to recover from the damage that was caused by the elimination of the funding it had come to depend on.

                     Comprehensiveness is the second condition. it means that everything is available. However, it seems that there is not enough for everyone, all the time. When government started taking money away from health care, hospital beds were the first to go. Ottawa felt that beds cost too much and that most of the people who occupied them, such as the mentally ill, should be taken care of somewhere else. In the space of five years, the number of beds dwindled from 6.9 beds per thousand people to 4.8. The government promised to turn all the beds that were lost into residential beds. In reality, 10% of residential beds in Canada were closed and the very people people who were moved out of the hospitals and into those beds, were kicked out into the streets.

                     Universality means that everyone gets access. But you can get access to better health care, if you can afford it. Private Clinics across Alberta are battling over who can provide an MRI at the lowest price. For many, these MRI's are critical and to pay only $400 for one makes it less of a financial burden. Here's the catch. The low price has obviously created a high demand. A high demand can only mean one thing  in health care, long waiting lists. Doctors have created a way for the patients to avoid the wait while they make extra money. For $2000, a person can walk into any clinic and have an MRI whenever they want. The patient may choose to pay the extra money, but a person's health is not something to play with and in the end, the patient is exploited.

                      Portability means that we should get the same level of care, no matter where we live in Canada. This is true, it's almost impossible to get immediate care in any province, just look at the waiting lists. A growing number of Canadian cancer patients are traveling to the U.S. because waiting lists are starting to get too long here and everyone knows that you can't wait for treatment. Bernice Shuster is a Breast cancer patient from Ontario who travels to Cleveland for her Chemotherapy. She knows how others in her situation feels and shares similar sentiments. She says " I've made my contribution to Canada and there never was a time that I needed help as much as I need it now. But I have to go abroad to get it. Deep down inside of me, I feel hurt."

                     The last condition of Medicare is accessibility and it means that we should get the care that we need. The waiting rooms are saying otherwise. 80% of the people who are waiting in hospitals could be treated by a family doctor. If you live in Newfoundland, there might not be a doctor in your area. The number of family doctors in Newfoundland has dropped from 640 in 1993 to 560 in 1998. This decrease has left entire towns dependent on a single hospital for all of their medical needs. Town's that do have family doctors fair no better. It is not uncommon to wait ten to twelve days before you can even arrange an appointment.

                      The purpose of the medicare system can be best described in the words of it's creator, Tommy Douglas; " No boy should depend for either his leg or his life on the ability of his parents to pay for medical services. health care should not have a price tag on it.". have we strayed so far from Medicare's original intentions that we have put our health care system into a crisis?. I believe that we have. the five pillars of medicare a disintegrating and as a country, we need to step back and re-examine our commitments and priorities to health care. We must take responsibility for health care if we are to see any changes being made because we cannot afford to wait for another Tommy Douglas to come along and save us.
 
 

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