Discussions

Does anyone else think that our Health Care system is broken? My wife needs open heart surgery and meet the surgeon June 24 and she is still waiting for the call to go

We pay for our health care with our taxes. It is not free as many believe. I prefer the system in the USA…..they have urgent care which is better than waiting 5 hours in the ER. You pay, but the cost evens out in the end.

caught menigitisalmost died from in 2004 from patient in my room who he died from after a surgery i had  
had to go back in to refix the surgery from the mengitis which resident dr cut optic nerve losing peripheral vision and drivers liscence and factory job then had to sell land I had built up living on a disability helping my wife and kids support a life and the provincial gov or surgeons just say sorry which was hard to get out of but in states if malpractice happens patient gets compensated  
but not in Canada or Manitoba

but not like the US. People who need emergent care like after a heart attack cannot afford the related costs. Some lose their homes after having to pay for their bill.  
Not the kind of health care I'd like to see in Canada.  
 
Are there improvements that can be made here? Absolutely!  
When my family member had cancer he got excellent care. And years later more excellent care. Thank goodness we didn't have to pay for medical procedures, hospital stays.

I hope your wife gets her surgery soon. If need be don't be afraid to take her to emergency if she's having issues.  
I wish you the best of luck.

You're not wrong about us paying via tax dollars, but it's worth noting that the United States pays more government money per capita for healthcare, before you even consider their mess of an insurance system.  
 
And they have statistically worse health outcomes on virtually every measure. In effect, Americans pay more and get less overall. That doesn't mean that the wealthy or those with amazing insurance don't have great outcomes, but overall it's not what you're making it out to be.  
 
The biggest problem with Canada's system is that it isn't a system at all. It is 14 different health systems - 10 provinces, 3 territories, and a federally run system for Indigenous healthcare.  
 
Add to that the fact that Canada always compares itself to the mediocrity of the United States system, instead of looking at better systems that exist in other countries. If you only compare yourself to an entirely different system used by your nearest neighbor, it's easy to say what you have is better in comparison.  
 
No question we could do better. But we've got to stop using the United States as the bar for what better looks like.  
 
Edited by JosephC, 2021-08-20 10:43:20

I experienced the benefits of the NHS in the UK for most of my life and I have found Manitoba health care to work pretty good for us. Referrals for me have been quick , I received necessary help and I received an efficient timely surgery in Regina. We do receive good service from doctors in Moosomin, SK under MB health.  
I hope that your wife gets the surgery that she needs quickly but I understand that covid19 has increased waiting times.  
On the whole after experiencing the National Health Service in the UK and Manitoba Health I am satisfied that our system works well and we have a good healthcare model here.  
The exception is that in the uk you can find and pay for private healthcare ( if you can afford it) and I have known people over there do that to jump ahead of surgery wait times.  
Be careful what you wish for. Public healthcare is a great asset and attracts people to live in our province.

Go to the emergency. A friend of mine needed surgery but she had to wait 3 months so she went there and complained about the pain and she had surgery within a few weeks instead …. or call the doctor and find out what is going on

other than being mercilessly taxed for it. I think for 95% of people but for a serious life-altering ailment would be nice to pay a fee to queue jump. But there’s always paying in the US to get it done if you can afford it.

My doctor informed me there are over 30000 people waiting for surgery in MB due to covid. Hopefully she gets in soon. Keep calling and asking when....Hopefully it will get her pushed up the line. Good luck

Ditto. We are there too.  
 
What a mess. What an absolutely uncaring, incompetent mess this has become.  
 
St. B. as a center of excellence for cardiac care?  
 
pm me if you want.  
 
Ad if comes to the squeekiest wheel gets the grease as some others have suggested, well. I'm doubly disappiointed.  
 
Edited by plane watcher, 2021-08-20 13:11:12