American nightmare

Re: “Options: Your Guide to Private Medicine,” Feb. 25.

I really didn’t get the point about the insert in Saturday’s Herald regarding private medicine.

It starts out talking about costs. I can assure you that although our medicare costs are rising, private care is no solution. “‘The word private shouldn’t mean American-style health care,’ (Mark) Rovere said.” Well, tell us what it would mean.

Private care would mean ever-increasing insurance premiums and would inevitably mean American medicine — American care consumes 18 per cent of GNP for less satisfactory results.

The Montana North Valley Hospital evidently provides more timely care, but don’t kid yourself that it’s cheaper.

My wife was treated at the Tom Baker Centre three years ago. They did not know I am a physician, so there was no special treatment. The special part was the timely, efficient and kindly care she received.

I don’t doubt it is frustrating for people awaiting orthopedic surgery, but private care is not the answer. A parallel private system will inevitably take resources away from the public system. In the region where I worked in Scotland, the waiting list for an orthopedic appointment was two to three years. Of course, if you went private, you would be seen the next day and operated on next week. Draw your own conclusions about that.

Jim Currie, MD, Calgary