Friday, July 10, 2009

911 in 905

In regards to south Niagara having two ER's closed by the McGuinty Liberals, I believe that the Liberals have calculated their political advantages in making such moves; I mentioned the rural hick vote counts for little compared to the vote-rich 416. If you're elderly or infirm in south Niagara, and concerned about how quickly you can get the right medical attention, then move now! The risks, although the NHS has tried to mitigate them, are there, in regards to getting timely medical attention. Fort Erie residents have a much better chance to be treated in Buffalo than travelling the QEW to St. Catharines or Welland. If only Millard Fillmore hospital could open or take over a hospital or two in Niagara... Speaking of Ontario Liberals calculating how to work one health-care geographic area against another for political gain, ie rural vs. urban vs. the amount of votes each approach may garner, I found this article of interest:

Richard Baker wrote in "Unhealthy care", (National Post, Jul.10, 2009)

"Re: Canadian Health Care On Trial, letters to the editor, July 8.

Anyone unfamiliar with health care in Canada could be forgiven for thinking that the writers of Wednesday's Letters of the Day were talking about two different health-care systems.

In fact, Canada has four. There is a rural system and the system found in major cities. Had Measha Brueggergosman had her aneurism in Easter, B. C., or in Labrador, she would almost certainly have died.

There is also the distinction between our elective system and the emergent (dealing with unexpected health problems) system. A patient who is hit by a bus, or who has a possible heart attack, will receive immediate care. A person needing a shoulder replacement, conversely, may wait years for a procedure.

It is easy to defend the care Canadians receive for emergent issues, in large hospitals in major cities. It isn't possible to defend our elective health-care system. Yet we continue to pay lip service to the concept of providing "portability", i. e., equivalent care to all residents, irrespective of their place of residence.
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The care in south Niagara is "portable"! It moved up the highway... or, to the States! Ontario's duplicitous Liberals pay a lot of lip service when it comes to health care, and though we pay a lot in taxes, we seem disillusioned that what we get isn't exactly what they promised. Ontario's Liberals are unreasonably ideological by insisting that all tiers of health care are to be monopolized by the state.

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