It’s not easy being a Canadian who is critical of Canada’s government health care system. Even the mildest criticism could mean incurring the wrath of Canada’s politicians and media.
I received an email last week from a 19-year old Canadian named Andrew who has expressed a deep dissatisfaction with the level of care (or lack thereof) he has been afforded by the government system.
I spoke with Andrew by phone and his story is a compelling one. We hear stories like this all too often from Canadians and this story in particular is a testament to the fact that not only the elderly get the short end of the stick under government-run health systems.
For purposes of this posting, I have removed Andrew’s last name to protect him.
Here is his email:
My name is Andrew, I'm a 19-year old student in Ontario, Canada, currently going through a health crisis which has removed completely my already-damaged faith in Canada's government-run healthcare system.
A month ago I was rushed to the hospital with heart failure (ventricular tacchycardia) which nearly killed me. I didn't respond to the medications I was given, so instead I was put under anesthesia, cardioverted (electrical shock) and sent out of the hospital 12 hours after admission, 30 minutes after waking up from the anesthesia (I was told by the nurse that they "needed my bed"), and told to call the hospital's "Urgent Acute" cardiology referral clinic on Monday, two-days later. I did, and I told the nurse receptionist at the clinic what had happened. I was told that given the serious and "urgent" nature of my hospitalization, I would be on the priority list to see a specialist and that I would be called back to set up an appointment that week...I wasn't. About a week after the first occurrence (which I'll add I have no history of, nor does anyone in my family) lo and behold it happened again! Rushed to the hospital in an ambulance, this time I couldn't breathe on my own, 24 hours later I had been sent out, still having never seen a cardiologist, and given no medication or treatment, just told that I "should take it easy, as the next time this could be fatal." I called the clinic again to update them. Apparently a second episode in a week doesn't get you an appointment either.
Since then, I've been admitted on yet another occasion, this time it caused a blood clot (deep-vein thrombosis) in my right leg. 12 hours later, after being put on heavy blood thinners, the doctor declared me "good to go" and sent me home again. The only thing I took was his parting quote "you're lucky you didn't have a stroke" (gee golly thanks).
So, here I am now walking with a limp and in pain because they didn't catch the clot on my second visit (despite how it had already formed at that time -- I was given antibiotics as it was "probably just an infection"). Additionally, myself, my friends, co-workers and family are constantly on alert for when/if this happens again, because I've still yet to even have my heart examined.
I've weight out the options of going to the Cleveland Heart Clinic in Ohio -- but regardless, anywhere in the United States would result in better treatment then I'm getting now. I cannot sit back and see President Barack Obama's "plan" for healthcare infect (no pun intended) the healthcare system in the states, and potentially kill a 19-year old with a bright future as the Canadian healthcare system could do.
