Health care system imploding while governments ÄNO[ V]LY WH`PUN [OL IPSSZ

Our health care system, according to some sector observers and some public members, is crumbling.

7RR PDQ\ SHRSOH FDQ¶W ¿QG D GRFWRU :KHQ WKH\ GR get diagnosed they wait longer than they should for surgery. Emergency rooms are overcrowded with an 80 per cent increase in patients.

Nurses, exhausted and worn out by the pandemic and a new onslaught of patients with severe infant inÀXHQ]D DQG FRQWLQXHG &RYLG FDVHV DUH UHWLULQJ HDUO\ RU leaving public health creating short-staffed hospitals.

One would expect a health care crisis such as this would see governments at the provincial and federal levHOV ZRUNLQJ WRJHWKHU WR ¿[ WKH V\VWHP

Not so, unfortunately.

A recent meeting of provincial health ministers and the federal health minister ended in chaos. “No progress,” said federal Health Minister Jean Yves Duclos, who had agreed to consider some private health services to resolve the health crisis. He noted private services compete with the public for staff.

The provincial ministers didn’t want to talk with Duclos.

They want a meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

*LYHQ WKDW VHYHQ RI WKH SURYLQFHV KDYH &RQVHUYDtive governments and three Prairie premiers are always ¿JKWLQJ ZLWK 2WWDZD WKH PHHWLQJ ZLWK 7UXGHDX ZRXOG turn into a behind the woodshed paddling.

Solving the issues in our $332 billion annual health care system seems a secondary objective.

&DQDGD KDV IHZHU DFXWH FDUH EHGV IHZHU HPHUJHQF\ rooms and fewer doctors per capita than any of the G7 QDWLRQV \HW &DQDGD VSHQGV WKH VHFRQG KLJKHVW SHUFHQWage of GDP (12.9 per cent) of any. Only the U.S. at 18.8 SHU FHQW H[FHHGV &DQDGD

Something is drastically wrong with this picture. The provinces want the federal government to pay a larger share for health care. Heath care, by the constitution, is a provincial responsibility. The feds want more say on spending.

Throwing more cash at the system hasn’t worked in the past and will be less effective now that the whole world experiences staff shortages.

One observer suggested the provinces hounding Ottawa for more money is like the young person recently entering the work force and seeking to continue receiving an allowance from the parents.

In this era provincial governments still pester Ottawa for cash.

Alberta has the lowest personal and corporate taxes LQ &DQDGD 6DVNDWFKHZDQ¶V SHUVRQDO LQFRPH WD[ LV FRPSDUDEOH ZLWK RQO\ ¿YH SHU FHQW IRU VPDOO EXVLQHVV

Expect some day Ottawa to say: if you want more money raise your own taxes.

:KLOH JRYHUQPHQWV ¿JKW RYHU ZKR SD\V WKH ELOO WKH system is sinking into quagmire, recalling when Roman (PSHURU 1HUR ¿GGOHG ZKLOH 5RPH EXUQHG