Re: What do people really want?

[Guest guest]

>> Do Canadians feel free to contact their

elected officials about these issues so that things will change for

the better? <<

I could contact them but I don't think it would help as far as

healthcare goes. Healthcare is mostly the domain of the provinces,

and here in B.C. we have a very conservative majority government who

are big believers in budget cuts. Because healthcare is so expensive,

cutting the money that goes into it will make the bottom line

suddenly look healthy. They don't seem to see the long term

consequences. The current problems in healthcare all over the country

is the result of years and years of short-sighted politicians cutting

budgets. Now we are in such a mess that it will cost a staggering

amount of money to fix the problem.

Unfortunately the people most hurt by the problems are those with

chronic conditions, like me. For instance, the waiting list for an

MRI is so long because they are constantly triaging, ie. putting more

urgent cases to the front of the line. They have to, or the people

who've been in car accidents or have cancer would not be seen in a

timely manner. But it's rotten for me and everybody else with non-

life threatening conditions because we end up feeling lost and

forgotten by the system.

I don't know what the solution is, apart from putting more money in.

Along with most Canadians, I am very proud of the fact that we have a

public health system that is free and equal for all. It's just so

#?*!$% slow!

Hope I haven't ranted too much!

Diane

Vancouver, B.C., Canada