An editorial on Parking-centred health care recently appeared in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. Dr. Rajendra Kale, a neurologist in Ottawa, shares his views about the unfairness of patients having to pay for parking while at the hospital. He believes that parking fees are a barrier to health care and can interfere with the quality of care. Does the pay parking barrier stop people from accessing their places of employment? Does it stop them from accessing businesses located in city centres? Does it stop them from attending movies or concerts?
A much bigger barrier to health care is patient waiting lists for access to diagnostic tests, specialists and surgery. Is waiting on government imposed lists for medical care fair to patients?
If hospitals don’t charge for parking then where will the money for maintaining the parking lots come from? As a patient, I’m willing to pay for access to a hospital parking lot because patient-centred care doesn’t require free parking. There is no such thing as free parking just as there is no such thing as free health care.
http://www.torontosun.com/2011/10/29/couple-sees-red-over-ohip?utm_source=addThis&utm_medium=addthis_button_facebook&utm_campaign=Couple+sees+red+over+OHIP+%7C+Toronto+&+GTA+%7C+News+%7C+Toronto+Sun#.Tuk_GVxDTLc.facebook
An interesting article – about a predicament repeated all too often!
Kartik,
What do you view as the predicament?
The fact that this person’s wife was denied coverage for a life saving drug – and having to go out of the country for expensive treatment that’s not available at home. Provincial plans don’t pay for most cancer drugs.. Now I’m not calling for more government involvement. On the contrary, common sense dictates we return to transparent pricing, competition and insurance returned to it’s proper role to indemnify us in the event of a catastrophe!
What did you think of the article? It’s a sad but oft repeated incident
I think the article shows the real danger in believing that Canada’s universal health care system provides access to medical care based on need.
Very true….. In fact, when bean counters dominate the system, they tend to treat the sickest as a liability (cost too much).
As you’ve mentioned, in Canada’s medical system, everything is limited to a global budget. Shame..