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It's Tuesday November the 28 around 7:18AM and

The Scoop on Private Emergency Rooms

If we don't allow private clinics to open and serve those with the money then we should also ban BWM dealerships and Audi dealerships and Fancy restaurants ( So long Weenie ) and close Holt Renfrew’s doors to make way for a Wal-Mart. I mean if everyone can't afford it, then no one should have access to it. Who cares if you can afford it, there is someone out there that can't. So take your elitist front of the line expectations and stick them in your pampered poo hole.

Why is private healthcare so horrible? Why should Mr.X that pays $2,300 a month in Income tax plus MSP get the same care as Mr.Y the welfare deadbeat? They are both human beings and residents of this fine province, that's why. That should be enough. But if Mr.X goes to a private clinic isn't that one less bed being used in a hospital? Isn’t that him spending money here instead of over the border? That’s one less person in the long line for any number of surgeries and tests?

Before you get all huffy and pissy let me remind you that I don't have a clue why I should not be for private clinics. What does Jack Layton know that I don't and does this mean I am as smart as Gord? Enlighten me. Blind me with your light.And tell me where Vancouverites stand on this?

Are You Against Private Emergency Rooms?
Against
For
I could care less about you and your stupid article
  
pollcode.com free polls


*Update* - I am not for or against private care. In fact I voted for this article being stupid.

I don't know the facts, all I know is that I do pay MSP and I do have $2,300 a month coming off my salary alone, not including what the wife who works at VGH pays ( wife thinks I am retarded for writing this BTW ). I have been to a doctors maybe 5 times in 15 years and twice was for a chocolate covered peanut making a nest in my sinuses. And I have always received exceptional service, I am not complaining.

I asked for feedback because I truly don't know why there would so many reasons to be against it. Don't judge me for my ignorance, judge me for my outer beauty or don't judge me at all. Do I have to remind you what column I post under....duh.

Posted by Luke McCullum | Link | Comments (10)

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Posted by: Anonymous

November 28, 2006 04:52 PM

BMWs and Audis are luxury items whereas health care is a necessity. The degree of care shouldn't be moderated or determined by wealth. If it were, the quality of public health care would be corroded as doctors would follow the money. Would you feel the same way if one of your relatives were diagnosed with an curable illness but didn't have the money to pay for it? A simple model but worth considering. You should reevaluate your argument.

Posted by: Puddy

November 28, 2006 06:23 PM

Simple answer - ask any nurse who has worked in Britain's two-tier health care system (or South Africa's) about public facility conditions there.

You'll be a dedicated customer of VGH's forevermore...

Posted by: Another Anonymous

November 28, 2006 08:31 PM

Please tell us more about the UK & SA systems, Puddy!

Because of my uncle's experience in the US, I am not too keen on prvate medical care, or the erosion of our current system (the improvement, yes).

My uncle was kicked out of an Orange County hospital (he was middle class, not some really poor person) and told to go to Canada to get his infection treated. So he flew up from LA, was operated on but still died.

Don't worry, his wife spent the entire malpractice money on paying back our doctors, along with the funeral expenses of shipping his body back home.

It's annoying that if they had treated him at his hometown hospital he wouldn't have died (the infection was curable). On the other hand, I have always been relieved that in Canada anyone, even some American, can get treated right away. If anything were to ever happen to my health, I am confident that I wouldn't die in this country.

Posted by: Larry

November 29, 2006 03:25 AM

YES,of course their should be public and private health care in Canada. For one, this allows freedom in this area. Secondly,people who can afford to pay for private health should be allowed to do so if they so choose-this helps keeps the public health costs down and keeps the money in Canada. Otherwise the rich will pay for public health treatments in other country's. As did even former-liberal PM Paul Martin did.

Posted by: dom

November 29, 2006 10:01 AM

My family suffered the death of my uncle in California as well because of the two-tier system. My uncle had gone to a good private hospital because he could afford it and the public ones were atrocious. He had an operation on Friday but when complications arose while he was in the hospital on the weekend, there was no doctor on premise to correctly assess the situation and he died. Apparently being middle-class isn't good enough. You have to be part of the rich upper class to get weekend service at a good clean hospital.

There may be two-tier systems that work but the one in the US does not. Even those who survive hospitalization in the US are often burdened with bills they need mortgages to pay down. My fear is that a two-tier system here will look like the abysmal situation in the US.

And the comparison to BMWs is ridiculous. Though some folks might make a case that there should be limitations on luxury goods and the wealth should instead be redistributed to those in need like the homeless and mentally ill that suffer in the streets of Vancouver.

Posted by: puddy

November 29, 2006 06:38 PM

Those arguing in favour of two-tier need to provide an example of a country with an exemplary public system, which operates alongside a private system.

So far, the argument has gone something like this:

"Just because a private system may come to exist, doesn't lead to standards dropping in the public system."

My understanding is, logically, that's correct. Except that in any place two-tier has ever been tried, standards in the public system always drop - dramatically.

Posted by: cambo

December 1, 2006 09:48 AM

Anyone who thinks we don't have multi-tier health care in this country has conveniently forgotten that one of the Sedin sisters got an MRI and maybe even a knee or back job the same day he was injured a few years ago. Brian Burke got a hernia bending over backwards trying to explain how Sedin didn't jump the queue. Why don't the socialists admit it: you won't be happy until we ALL die on a waiting list for health care.

Posted by: Zodell

December 1, 2006 11:34 AM

What happened to Vancouver? Get some protesters to that clinic, make it clear that jumping the line because of your wealth is not right. You are the battleground for the rest of the country. Wealth does not mean preference in this country. Lies about shortened wait times do not cut it, more like short lists for the wealthy. Money should not be able to buy a better place in line. We are not talking BMWs, we are talking about health care. WAKE UP!

Posted by: dave

December 1, 2006 03:52 PM

The next time you spend 4 hours waiting in an emergency room, suffering the agony of a broken bone, kidney stone, a migraine that is causing all the neurons that control pain at once, you tell me if you wouldn't pay $200.00 to help fix your agonizing but not life threatening condition
There would be no need for a private alternative, if the public one could do the job.

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