The BC Liberal Government is failing patients – and taxpayers.
That is why the British Columbia Anesthesiologists Society made application to the BC Supreme Court for intervener standing in Dr. Brian Day’s constitutional challenge of the province’s health care laws.
Dr. Day argues it is unconstitutional to deny British Columbians access to private health care when the public system fails to deliver timely quality care. The BC government’s denial of access to private insurance subjects patients to long wait lists, which negatively affects their health and security.
Following is just one of may examples of how some of the most vulnerable British Columbians are negatively affected.
“My son is on a waiting list for corrective surgery for congenital esotropia. He is only 14 months old. If he gets it in a timely fashion, he will have a good chance of developing normal vision. With every month that passes, this becomes less likely. We just saw our pediatric specialist who told us he would try everything he could to get us into an OR at the Royal Jubilee Hospital in Victoria but that the wait list is 6-9 months. We were hoping to slip him in before then – my son could lose the chance to have normal vision permanently in that time frame. What do we do?”
To read the whole story and get involved please read “My Son Almost Lost His Sight“
The BC Liberal Government continues to mislead the public by claiming that waitlists are shrinking and patients are benefiting from more timely care. While false statements are politically beneficial to government, they fail to help the hundreds of thousands of British Columbians whose health is at the mercy of a system that is failing them.
We want to protect the public system and address the issues within it that are denying patients timely access to quality care. It is in the public interest that we do so as someone has to speak up for the hundreds of thousands of British Columbians who are currently waiting for health care.
The government and its health authorities are making decisions that ration patient care. Rationing occurs when health authorities force operating room closures and place administrative bans on overtime. These decisions result in cancelled surgeries – putting patients at risk.
Let’s look at the facts.
- Over the last 11 years, BC’s health care budget has doubled. Health care now consumes $17.5 Billion per year, or 42 percent of the government’s entire operating budget.
- Despite a 100 percent increase in funding, the government reports the average patient’s wait time for surgery has increased 76 percent. We are paying 100 percent more and wait times are 76 percent worse.
- Currently, the government reports 72,331 British Columbians are waiting for surgical care.
- Thousands of British Columbians have life-altering chronic pain conditions (e.g. amputations, cancer, nerve injuries). The wait to see a pain specialist is up to 2 or 3 years in many parts of the province, including Vancouver.
Even if Dr. Day wins this court case, 99 percent of British Columbians will continue to rely on the public system.
We need to make sure it provides the care they need and deserve. You can help. Please get involved by signing our petition.
Photo Credits
Photo From The Microsoft Office Clip Art Collection
Guest Author Bio
Dr. Roland Orfaly
Dr. Roland Orfaly is the Executive Director of the BC Anaesthesiologists Society and is certified nationally by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada in the medical specialty of Anaesthesiology. He has practiced medicine in British Columbia for over fourteen years and as a specialist Anaesthesiologist for over eleven years.
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As a Union representative in the Quebec Healthcare sector I welcome this piece with open arms. I am saddened by the fact that British Columbia and Quebec are experiencing the same wait time issues. The public does not realize how serious this is. The bottom line folks, people are dying while waiting for different medical procedures.
The debate surrounding Canada’s move towards a two tier health care system is becoming a nasty debate. What is sad about it, is political lobby groups and some doctors are pushing to privatize certain areas of healthcare when the management of these instituations are questionable. Just this week, the McGill University Healthcare Centre has an ex-director of Human Resources that is alleged to have pocketed 1.6 million dollars. An internal investigation was done and the MUHC decided to not press charges. The police was not contacted. Also this week, Quebec’s anti-corruption unit shut down the administrative offices of the MUHC and they raided the place, once again the institution is being investigated for the way they awared the Private-Public Partnership to a construction firm to build a new hospital with a 2.7 billion dollar price tagged to it. (For more information on these two issues-go to the CBC’s website)
How can one justify to the mother of the boy who is on a waiting list for corrective surgery for congenital esotropia, that the money is tied up in mismangement of funds. It is revolting to say the least, and people should be signing petitions and taking to the streets to demand changes!
It’s frustrating when the people we entrust to oversee the public system cannot conduct their affairs in such a manner as to maintain that trust.