VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) - At one time, other countries would point to Canada as an example of how a healthcare system should be run. But the latest cover story in
Maclean's magazine says our country now ranks close to the bottom.
Ken McQueen with Maclean's tells us we always criticize our neighbours to the south, but on a global scale, Canada's
healthcare system needs a booster shot. "We console ourselves in the fact that it's substantially better, fair, and more accessible than our American neighbours. But really, when you compare it to places like the Netherlands and the UK, we really don't fare all that well."
Macleans reports last February, a 75-year-old man died in a Montreal emergency room while his daughter tried to get a nurse's attention. It also says among developed countries, Canada is in dead-last when it comes to timeliness and quality of care.
McQueen explains he's heard horror stories about emergency wait times. "They wait hours and hours and hours... sometimes eight hours, sometimes more. The over-burdened staff can't always determine who can wait and who needs help immediately. There are a distressing number of deaths."
It's estimated our healthcare cost Canadian taxpayers $190 billion to run last year.