Helping themselves instead of helping each other

By Ivan Morgan

Is someone going to have to die before we take this seriously? Have they already? Am I being overly dramatic? Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services (NLHS) would certainly think so. Another two big health care issues erupted recently. And these are just the ones we know about. What exactly is the state of health care in this province? One thing’s for sure, we aren’t going to get any straight answers.
In the wake of five internal medicine doctors publicly tendering their resignations from St. Clare’s in St. John’s last week (not counting the two who had already quit) the minister responsible was sent out to tell us not to worry, a solution is on the way.
Is she kidding? This is crisis management at it worst. Our health care system is a disaster, and these are just the latest eruptions, which government is now dealing with because they have to.
Have any of these people been in an emergency room lately? How about the tens of thousands looking for a family doctor? The minister is a nurse by profession. I get the strong suspicion she knows better. It’s just now she is playing with a team that always wants to put the lid on problems that go public. Especially with a pending provincial election.
Nothing to see here folks. Just move on.
What’s it going to take to get a handle on this vital service we all pay for and depend on?
The time for NLHS to continue to feed us platitudes has passed. I don’t think anyone believes them anymore.
As well, the Auditor General just released a “bombshell” audit of NLHS’s handling of agency nurses. I could fill this paper five times over with what I have been reading in that report, but you don’t want that (its online if you do). I can sum it up nicely in three words: fiscal feeding frenzy.
Man, oh man did they hemorrhage money. NLHS has announced they are going to look into it. Surely, they are joking. Investigate themselves? They must think we taxpayers are really stupid.
While we are at it, is it a coincidence that all this is made public in the summer, when few are paying attention? Just asking.
Fun fact: We spend $4.1 billion on health care in this province, 40 per cent of our provincial budget.
We elect people to manage this money prudently. It’s readily apparent they don’t.
Public health care is supposed to mean we look after each other. Some think the answer is private health care. It’s not. Our grandparents figured that out and created a public health care system. Many people, lots of them big financial supporters of the Liberal and Progressive Conservative parties, are salivating for privatization. Why? They’ll tell you it’s because you will get better health care. But it’s really because they will become much, much wealthier. Unless you can’t afford it, in which case too bad for you. Do we want to go there? I don’t.
I know it’s summer. I know we all have better things to do. I know I am a broken record on this issue, but nonetheless… There’s a provincial election coming, and from where I stand we seem to have little or no choices. We don’t seem to have anyone who is up for the job. Nobody offering themselves quickens my pulse. I took time to ask around, to ensure it’s not just me being jaundiced. Nope. Everyone I spoke with feels the same.
How much is 40 percent of your yearly tax bill? Can you think of anything else you pay for that’s so badly managed? We need to elect people who can solve this problem.
Health care in this province is hemorrhaging money. Everyone seems to be grappling for the big dollars, be it doctors, contractors, suppliers, nurses, bureaucrats or whoever.
The idea behind universal health care was everyone helping each other, not everyone helping themselves.
Ivan Morgan can be reached at ivan.morgan@gmail.com