Finally Some Sense on Health Care

[Canuck E Stan]

Err,

I think that realistically, only the NDP is really serious about making our PUBLIC health-care system one that will work for all Canadians....

Layton won't close clinics

The position seems to contradict what the party said all week about stopping the privatization of health care.

Layton all for private healthcare if you want to pay for it

What's the NDP stand on healthcare next week?

[scribblet]

This doesn't seem right, that many spots going out of country when we have a shortage at home.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/stor...51018/20051011/

Foreign medical trainees leaving Canadians out

Kathy Tomlinson, CTV News

The government of Saudi Arabia sent him here to become a top-notch trauma surgeon, all expenses paid. When Dr. Khaled Al-Ahmadi finishes his three years of Canadian hospital training, he will go home and take his badly-needed skills with him. Buying extra training in Canada is Saudi Arabia's way of trying to fix their doctor shortage.

"The need for doctors is growing there (Saudi Arabia). The need is really growing I mean the number of Saudi doctors is still low," said Dr. Al-Ahmadi.

Since the late 1970s, Canadian medical schools have been selling an increasing number of hospital residency positions to foreign countries, primarily Saudi Arabia. The medical schools charge about $40,000 a year for each spot, enough to cover the training expenses.

Six hundred Saudi Arabian doctors are now getting their residency training in the Canadian system, along with some 300 from other countries. That represents about 10 per cent of all residency spots.

"I'm grateful for Saudi Arabia and I feel grateful for Canada," said Dr. Al-Ahmadi, "Here I learn I practice and I serve the (Canadian) community at the same time."

Because of the severe doctor shortage in Canada, though, some doctors are starting to object.

"We have failed to provide our own system with the capacity to train our own medical graduates," says Dr. Alex Chochinov, an emergency room doctor in Winnipeg, "I look forward to the day when governments supply medical faculties with the funds and the resources necessary to provide training for a sufficient number of Canadians so we can look to other countries and say we don't need your trainees."

[normanchateau]

This doesn't seem right, that many spots going out of country when we have a shortage at home.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/stor...51018/20051011/

Foreign medical trainees leaving Canadians out

Kathy Tomlinson, CTV News

The government of Saudi Arabia sent him here to become a top-notch trauma surgeon, all expenses paid. When Dr. Khaled Al-Ahmadi finishes his three years of Canadian hospital training, he will go home and take his badly-needed skills with him. Buying extra training in Canada is Saudi Arabia's way of trying to fix their doctor shortage.

"The need for doctors is growing there (Saudi Arabia). The need is really growing I mean the number of Saudi doctors is still low," said Dr. Al-Ahmadi.

Since the late 1970s, Canadian medical schools have been selling an increasing number of hospital residency positions to foreign countries, primarily Saudi Arabia. The medical schools charge about $40,000 a year for each spot, enough to cover the training expenses.

Six hundred Saudi Arabian doctors are now getting their residency training in the Canadian system, along with some 300 from other countries. That represents about 10 per cent of all residency spots.

"I'm grateful for Saudi Arabia and I feel grateful for Canada," said Dr. Al-Ahmadi, "Here I learn I practice and I serve the (Canadian) community at the same time."

Because of the severe doctor shortage in Canada, though, some doctors are starting to object.

"We have failed to provide our own system with the capacity to train our own medical graduates," says Dr. Alex Chochinov, an emergency room doctor in Winnipeg, "I look forward to the day when governments supply medical faculties with the funds and the resources necessary to provide training for a sufficient number of Canadians so we can look to other countries and say we don't need your trainees."

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

This has nothing to do with federal politics. As pointed out in the link you provided, it is the responsibility of provincial governments and how they choose to spend their dollars. Some provincial governments, e.g. that of British Columbia, have chosen to double their number of available residencies. Other provinces have not.

[sharkman]

But this has a real impact on our health care system. If less Canadians are getting trained, less doctors are available for our system.

[scribblet]

But this has a real impact on our health care system.  If less Canadians are getting trained, less doctors are available for our system.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It sure does have an impact if Canadians can't get trained because there are not enough room for them.