Right in the centre - Just waiting for them to die

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Right in the centre - Just waiting for them to die

Details: Published on Thursday, September 19, 2024

By Ken Waddell

Neepawa Banner & Press

It’s not uncommon to have to wait many months or even a year for a CT Scan or an MRI. Even an Ultrasound can take a long time. In spite of all the valiant efforts of health care workers, doctors, nurses and specialists to provide timely diagnostics and treatment, the system is faltering and even failing.

The ultimate fall back position in health care in Manitoba seems to be “Just wait until they die.” And it’s happening. People are dying while waiting for timely diagnostics and treatment.

There’s lots of blame to spread around but it is mostly due to a hide- bound system in Manitoba that clings to the idea that the government has to pay for, ration out and control all things health care. It isn’t that way in all provinces. In Manitoba you can’t “buy” a CT scan for example. That’s because the bureaucracy has the politicians convinced that privately paid for health care is in contravention of the Canada Health Act. That’s obviously bull—t but it seems no party or politician has the courage to step out and state the obvious. If you can buy privately provided diagnosis in Alberta (and dare I say Quebec), why can’t we do it in Manitoba?

So, what does it cost to get a CT Scanner like the one many are asking be put in Neepawa’s new Regional Hospital? Here’s what the Province of Manitoba said in a news release about the recently installed CT unit at Swan River. “The province provided more than $2 million in capital funding for the purchase and installation of the new CT scanner, as well as renovations of a space at the health-care facility. This was matched by a contribution of more than $1 million from the Town of Swan River and surrounding communities. The province will also provide funding for the operating costs of the CT scanner, approximately $400,000 per year.” So $3 million for the unit?? It’s interesting to note that an internet search says you can buy a CT unit for $300,000. That makes sense, everything the government buys is at double or triple what it should cost.

Here’s another telling bit of information. Over 6,000 Canadian trained doctors work in the United States while only 800 US trained doctors work in Canada. That means Canada has paid for a share of the training of over 6,000 doctors but they all left and only 800 came in. That’s a bad deal that even a bureaucrat should be able to figure out.

The relatively newly elected NDP government says they are running short of money and that likely is true. They have cancelled some projects and certainly show no progress on diagnostics and treatment.

The answer is obvious and that is to open the big grey doors on those buildings that house the bureaucracy and let private investment build diagnostic and treatment capacity. Manitobans are driving to Grafton and Grand Forks, North Dakota and reportedly getting tests done in a week or less. Why can’t we do that in Manitoba.

Because it’s easier to “Just wait for them to die” than to break out of stupidly reasoned traditions. Manitoba is so hide-bound in mediocrity and tradition that it’s not only killing innovation, it’s killing people.

Let private investment for an MRI, CT Scan or any other equipment that will improve the health of our people.

Not only will people die with the “Just wait for them to die” method, the province and its healthcare system will die as well.

People have money, let them invest it. Many years ago, a man I knew was desperate to get his wife the back surgery she badly needed. They were told by their Manitoba specialist that she would be wheel-chair bound before she would get surgery in Manitoba. The man put a mattress in their mini-van, drove her to the Mayo Clinic and she had her surgery within three days. She recovered and went back to work in the family farming business. One neighbour noted that farmer usually bought a new combine every few years, but wouldn’t be able to do that now. The farmer’s answer was direct. He said, “ I don’t care if I never have another new combine, I have my wife back.”

Let’s turn to private investment, even if it’s just in diagnostics. We have nothing to lose but a few bureaucrats who will be proven wrong very quickly.