Shirley Healey was diagnosed with mesenteric ischemia. The main artery to her intestines was blocked, and she’d lost over 50 pounds waiting for medical care. Her vascular surgeon, Robert Ellett, said “The last patient I had with exactly the same problem, he waited for three months and he lost so much weight it looked like he had come from a concentration camp. I operated, but he died 10 days post-op. He basically starved to death.”
Dr. Ellet informed Shirley and her husband that the waiting time for surgery would be 6-8 weeks, and told them what happened to his last patient with the same condition. Shirley’s husband wanted to go to the US, and the doctor said he would, too. Shirley Healey had her surgery in the USA.
She’s 1 amongst 1000s who go to the US for live saving or life improving treatment or diagnostic tests. Too many Canadians needlessly suffer and many also die waiting for care. It REALLY needs reform. A truly competitive market would work – with insurance returning back to it’s traditional role.
Some on the left like to use the life expectancy and infant mortality rate statistic to say our system is better. But those are terrible statistics when comparing health care systems. In fact, when it comes to survival rates for various forms of cancer, the US does marvelously and we’re middle of the road. They have a cost issue and their system is not even close to being a free market – with the concept of insurance for health care being distorted to become first dollar payment for everything. More competition is what they need, as do WE!
have gone and still go – I should say….