I was fortunate to reconnect with Aaron Gunn at a journalism conference in Toronto who has just released an excellent healthcare documentary – Waiting to Die. It is a must see which reveals how Canada’s healthcare system, of which so many of us are so proud, is killing us, as those in charge continue to refuse to take measures to protect Canadians.
Why do so many people still support it? The most prevalent reason is that it is ‘free for all.’ Well, communists say the same thing and look how well that turned out for the Soviet Union: mass poverty, secret police, a two-tiered justice system, and, surprise, a two-tiered healthcare system! Sound familiar?
Aaron interviews both experts and victims of the current system, gathering valuable information from both sides and weaving them together in a cohesive and engaging piece. The people suffering from long wait times, poor quality care, and suggestions of euthanasia to take them out of the equation seem eager to finally share their concerns with someone with a platform.
On the other side, healthcare professionals were also desperate for a listening ear. Dr. Roy Eappen of Montreal stated in his interview that doctors are slaves to the system and have very little power to change things. Dr. Brian Day of the Cambie Clinic in Vancouver remarked on the two-tiered healthcare system; he has treated many athletes, officials, and others who sidestep the public system to receive premium care. Dr. Eappen and Dr. Day are just two of the many Canadian medical professionals who are fed up with the shackles of the public system.
Aaron also travelled to Sweden to interview doctors in a country with one of the most revered healthcare systems in the world. What he found was remarkable. Since implementing a combined public and private system, Sweden has managed to drastically improve the health of their citizens. Ironically, the real socialist system in Canada is the failing one, not the dual system in Sweden.
We need more competition in health care delivery in Canada. Quebec is a pioneer in that, as is Dr. Day in British Columbia, but it has been anything but easy. Dr. Day has been embroiled in a legal battle with the provincial government since 2016 and there exists a law that inhabitants of a province cannot access private healthcare located in their own backyard. There is also the issue of the newly implemented Medical Assistance in Dying, a sinister strategy that could be used to free up space in long waitlists and nursing homes.
If we are to make significant strides in this improving medical care in Canada, we must seriously think about adopting something like the Swedish model. To many Canadians, it seems the only way out of this is competition between the public and private sectors. When there exists competition, improvement and innovation is inevitable, and that’s not only obviously achievable for Canada, but it’s what we need and deserve.
Sophia Leis is the associate editor at the Frontier Centre for Public Policy. She is a third-year university student studying political science and economics. She is passionate about Canadian indigenous issues, macroeconomics, Western cultural influence and classical liberal philosophy.
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