Governments in Canada routinely deny essential medical care in our "public health care system".

[blackbird]

This is just another example of a serious problem with the so-called public health care system in Canada.

It denies essential care and medication in some cases and leaves people to wait in pain to die.  There is one case in Saskatchewan where a woman has chosen Medical assistance in dying (MAID) in the coming January because she has been refused care so far.  She is in extreme pain and requires urgent surgery, but so far has not be given it, possibly because there is no surgeon in the province capable of doing it and they won't send her somewhere else to get it.

A young man went into the Surrey hospital recently in pain and serious symptoms and was sent home with anti-biotics and died within 24 hours.  This is being investigated.

quote

An appeals board says Manitoba should pick up the tab for the spinal surgery a patient had in another country amid debilitating pain and intolerable wait times in the province.

The Manitoba Health Appeal Board suggests the patient met the criteria for urgent surgery, but resorted to paying more than $77,000 for it out-of-country last fall due to barriers they faced in the provincial health-care system, as their condition began "rapidly deteriorating."

"Their health required surgery without delay…. The appellant was in a state of urgency and had lost bowel and bladder function and was being severely debilitated by their condition," the board — an arm's-length organization intended to provide recourse for patients unsatisfied with certain health-care related decisions — wrote in its October decision.

"This situation is deeply concerning to the board."

The Manitoba Health Appeal Board met in July to review the complaint and recommended the patient be reimbursed for costs incurred for out-of-province medical services, a diagnostic procedure, accommodations and travel.

In its review, published online Oct. 29, the board asks Manitoba Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara to respond within 60 days.   unquote

Appeal board says Manitoba should pay for out-of-country spinal surgery in 'deeply concerning' case

Nobody should have to go through this and struggle to find help to get care.   The public system is a complete disaster also with millions with no family doctor and thousands of patients on waiting lists, many of whom will die before they receive care.

 

 

Edited November 27, 2025 by blackbird

[John Stone]

u want the hacks to pay attention??

Generally, voter turnout  in Canada is pathetic, last election notwithstanding - thanks Justin - the people really were disappointed in your lack of leadership - course the NDP as a National party was destroyed - but I digress,   people are complacent - u want the hacks to pay attention? Vote! 

Do u vote or are you a hypocrite? 

.............. if you want a complete understanding of how/why Universal Health Care has deteriorated so badly, I'd suggest u read, "DYING TO BE SEEN" / Cathy MacNeil. 

Cathy with over 4 decades of experience in Health Care describes the erosion of basically planned fiscal maintenance since 1984 - the enaction of the Canada Health Act. 

 

 

[Barquentine]

23 hours ago, blackbird said:

 The public system is a complete disaster....the so-called public health care system in Canada.

If you're going to cherry-pick the bad, you should also cherry-pick the good.

I'm seeing a cardiologist tomorrow after a 15 month wait for a non-urgent issue. That's too long.

But when my colleague had a mild heart attack he was tended to immediately and saw a cardiologist the next morning.

I'm ok with being put on hold so people with critical problems can be cared for.

Every country's medical system is under severe strain, not just ours.

That's just the way it is, and if anyone has a real solution, step forward and win the Nobel prize for medicine.

After my doctor retired in 2020 I just got a new one in 2024. But during those 4 years I got excellent care at walk-in clinics. Just had to wait in line for an hour or two.

Edited November 28, 2025 by Barquentine
grammar

[I am Groot]

7 minutes ago, Barquentine said:

If you're going to cherry-pick the bad, you should also cherry-pick the good.

I'm seeing a cardiologist tomorrow after a 15 month wait for a non-urgent issue. That's too log.

But when my colleague had a mild heart attack he was tended to immediately and saw a cardiologist the next morning.

I'm ok with being put on hold so people with critical problems can be cared for.

The problem is when people have problems which get progressively worse while they wait. How many people have died waiting in line? Not just at emergency rooms but waiting to see a specialist? 

When faced with a sixteen-month wait for a consultation a couple of years ago I called up a place in Montreal and got an appointment for 3 days later, went in, talked to the surgeon, and got a quick treatment in his clinic. I would have had to wait a year and a half in pain/discomfort under our system.

The big problem, though, is lack of doctors and nurses. But that is entirely the fault of government. They control how many people are admitted to medical and nursing schools and how many coop/residency positions are made available to complete their training. And while they have grudgingly increased those numbers in the last year, there's been little priority to it and the increases aren't large.

Has it occurred to people that the only parts of our medical system that function well are those not controlled by government? No one has trouble getting a physiotherapy appointment or getting in to see a chiropractor. No one has to wait a year to see a dentist or an optometrist. 

[Barquentine]

7 minutes ago, I am Groot said:

the only parts of our medical system that function well are those not controlled by government

Total BS! Try having a serious debate for once.

[blackbird]

1 hour ago, Barquentine said:

If you're going to cherry-pick the bad, you should also cherry-pick the good.

You really need psycho help.

quote

More than 1,500 people in B.C.'s Interior died while on a medical waitlist in B.C.'s Interior over the past fiscal year.

The data was recently compiled through an number of Freedom of Information requests by the thinktank SecondStreet.org, showing 4,620 people in British Columbia died while on a wait list between April 1, 2024 and March 31, 2025.

These included 3,781 deaths among those waiting for medical diagnostics and 839 deaths among those waiting for surgeries.   unquote

More than 1,500 people in B.C.'s Interior died while on a medical waitlist last fiscal year - Castanet.net

[blackbird]

Daughter of 82-year-old woman who died after hours in ERs demands change | Watch

[Shady]

Our health care system is in shambles for two main reasons.  The Trudeau government decided to expand Canada’s population at a rate that our health care system could not keep up with.  The Trudeau government also enacted terrible economic policies, that restricted the economic growth necessary to properly fund the health care system capacity to handle the new population growth.  

[blackbird]

What is criminal about our health care system is the way it is set up to prohibit private health care and private health insurance from being a partner in providing health care for everyone.  The result of this controlled health care-denying system is everyone has equal access to dying on a waiting list or not having a family doctor or often not having excellent timely care.   The health care unions and the left political parties claim they oppose ANY private care involvement ostensibly because the strictly government run system will provide equal health care for everyone.  Sadly that is not the way it has worked out.  Their ideology has proven a failure.

Edited November 28, 2025 by blackbird

[I am Groot]

7 hours ago, Barquentine said:

Total BS! Try having a serious debate for once.

I just did. If you wish to rebut what I wrote - seriously - then tell me about those government parts of the system that work well.

[I am Groot]

23,746 patients died on waiting lists in Canada last year.

Tell us again about our marvelous system, Barquentine.

https://secondstreet.org/2025/11/26/23746-patients-died-on-waitlists-in-past-year/

[Barquentine]

On 11/28/2025 at 6:15 PM, I am Groot said:

I just did. If you wish to rebut what I wrote - seriously - then tell me about those government parts of the system that work well.

All the ones that I and all my family, friends and colleagues use on a regular basis. Even when I didn't have a family doctor for 4 years I got great sevice from doctors, nurses, clinics,and pharmacies.

[Barquentine]

On 11/28/2025 at 11:23 PM, I am Groot said:

23,746 patients died on waiting lists in Canada last year.

Any amount of deaths is too much.

But how many of those on waiting lists died from unrelated causes? How many would have died anyway, even if they'd seen a specialist? How many were non life threatening medical issues?

How fast do people with life-threatening issues get care, compared to non-threatening or elective issues?

[CdnFox]

On 11/28/2025 at 6:19 AM, Barquentine said:

I'm ok with being put on hold so people with critical problems can be cared for.

 

Then you are excusing failure.

What you're saying is you're okay with receiving poor health care if it means that your buddy can receive mediocre health care.

Is that the standard you want to measure Canada by now?

[CdnFox]

3 hours ago, Barquentine said:

Any amount of deaths is too much.

A certain amount is going to happen and is unavoidable.

But that is way over that number. Per capita more people die in Canada waiting for medical treatment that they need then die in the united states due to a lack of medical coverage.

This is not going well for us

Except for one area that is, there's one 'health care' area where we're world leaders and it's growing great 

In 2024, 5.1% of people in Canada who died received MAID

yep.  you read that right.  of all deaths in Canada over 5 percent were from maid. People would literally rather die.  And that's ALL deaths including accident and murder etc. 

The gov't finally found an affordable health care program it could live with.  Even if we can't. 

 

 

[eyeball]

53 minutes ago, CdnFox said:

Then you are excusing failure.

What you're saying is you're okay with receiving poor health care if it means that your buddy can receive mediocre health care.

Is that the standard you want to measure Canada by now?

$10 says you'd be just fine with receiving poor health care if it means people wealthier than you could pay their way to the front of the line.

No poor man ever gave you a job right?

[Legato]

6 minutes ago, eyeball said:

$10 says you'd be just fine with receiving poor health care if it means people wealthier than you could pay their way to the front of the line.

No poor man ever gave you a job right?

Before you move the goalposts try putting them up first.

[CdnFox]

2 hours ago, eyeball said:

$10 says you'd be just fine with receiving poor health care if it means people wealthier than you could pay their way to the front of the line.

 

LOL  10 dollars says you claim you've been saying that for decades now  

100 dollars says you're furious that i'm right and you're trying to distract from what a failure our socialized health care is because admitting it hurts your tribe's feelings  

1000 dollars says you'd be fine with NOBODY getting health care as long as the rich didn't get healthcare last.   

[Barquentine]

17 hours ago, CdnFox said:

What you're saying is you're okay with receiving poor health care if it means that your buddy can receive mediocre health care.

No. I'm willing to wait for non-essential care if it means someone who needs critical care gets it immediately.

But apparently you're too selfish for that. Not surprised.

[Barquentine]

17 hours ago, CdnFox said:

The gov't finally found an affordable health care program it could live with.  Even if we can't.

More of your twisted bullsh!t. 

https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/health-services-benefits/medical-assistance-dying.html

"Eligibility:

Grievous and irremediable medical condition
To be considered as having a grievous and irremediable medical condition, you must meet all of the following criteria. You must:
-have a serious illness, disease or disability
-be in an advanced state of decline that cannot be reversed
-experience unbearable physical or mental suffering from your illness, disease, disability or state of decline that cannot be relieved under conditions that you consider acceptable

Informed consent:

Informed consent is when you give permission to receive medical assistance in dying after you receive all of the information you need to make your decision. This includes:
-your medical diagnosis
-available forms of treatment
-available options to relieve suffering, including palliative care
You must be able to give informed consent both:
-at the time of your request
-immediately before receiving medical assistance in dying, unless special circumstances apply
You can withdraw your consent at any time and in any way."

 

These are people who will die soon anyway, regardless of medical attention, or suffer prolonged, irremediable pain.

Who the phuck are you say anyone should or shouldn't make this choice?

If that condition ever happens to me I'm glad I'll have the choice.

You can suffer and let your family suffer along with you as much as you want. Making your dumb political point will be worth it, right?

 

[blackbird]

3 hours ago, Barquentine said:

"Eligibility:

Grievous and irremediable medical condition
To be considered as having a grievous and irremediable medical condition, you must meet all of the following criteria. You must:
-have a serious illness, disease or disability
-be in an advanced state of decline that cannot be reversed
-experience unbearable physical or mental suffering from your illness, disease, disability or state of decline that cannot be relieved under conditions that you consider acceptable

The fact is the requirements you posted are not being followed.

"

The MAID Death Review Committee (MDRC) in Ontario oversees Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) 

practices, ensuring compliance and addressing systemic complexities in end-of-life care.

Overview of the MAID Death Review Committee

The MAID Death Review Committee (MDRC) was established in January 2024 under the Office of the Chief Coroner (OCC) in Ontario. This committee is a multidisciplinary body composed of 16 members from various fields, including law, ethics, medicine, social work, nursing, and mental health. Its primary purpose is to provide expert review and oversight of MAiD deaths in Ontario, focusing on legislative, practice, health, and social complexities that arise in these cases. "

ocswssw.org

Ontario Chief Coroner MAID death review committee - Search

"The First MDRC report that was published, in October 2024, found that people who are socially vulnerable, such as people who are living with poverty, homelessness or disabilities, were dying by euthanasia in Ontario.  The report further indicated that there were 428 non-compliant euthanasia deaths in Ontario.

Dr. Ramona Coelho, a family physician and a member of the MDRC stated:

"While MAID was meant to relieve intolerable suffering when no alternatives remained, it instead puts vulnerable people at risk, becoming a path of least resistance when barriers to care exist, preying on fear of being a burden and often overlooking supports that could genuinely alleviate suffering."

The United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, in March 2025, found Canada's euthanasia practices to be discriminatory.  The MDRC confirms that the United Nations Committee is correct.
unquote

From the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition report of October 15, 2025.

Edited December 1, 2025 by blackbird

[CdnFox]

4 hours ago, Barquentine said:

No. I'm willing to wait for non-essential care if it means someone who needs critical care gets it immediately.

 

That is an example of poor Healthcare. If the system is so strained that it can't deal with a regular workload and provide services in a timely fashion without making sacrifice it is failing. Under normal conditions everybody should receive care in a timely fashion. That's the way it works in most countries. If you're OK with not receiving it in a timely fashion then you're saying you're willing to accept a substandard system because it's not TOOOOO bad. 

You have literally just admitted what I said was true. 

And the problem with a system that's already failing like that is if it's ever put under strain.. (covid)... it falls apart. Many many people died during covid because there were no resources to give them life saving care they desperately needed. Cancer patients who stopped getting care, etc. 

But at the end of the day I guess that's socialism for you. Left-wing thinking and liberal ideology centers around the idea that everybody has a lower standard of living so that we can all be more equal. Even if it's equal in dying sooner

[I am Groot]

On 11/30/2025 at 10:23 AM, Barquentine said:

All the ones that I and all my family, friends and colleagues use on a regular basis. Even when I didn't have a family doctor for 4 years I got great sevice from doctors, nurses, clinics,and pharmacies.

I'm not interested in anecdotes. I can tell the opposite for friends and family about the difficulty of finding a family doctor, the difficulty of getting simple tests done, the overcrowding of ERs that makes going there means a 12hr wait.

[CdnFox]

4 minutes ago, I am Groot said:

I'm not interested in anecdotes. I can tell the opposite for friends and family about the difficulty of finding a family doctor, the difficulty of getting simple tests done, the overcrowding of ERs that makes going there means a 12hr wait.

Absolutely, it is terrible in my area and I had to wait 4 years to get a family doctor and during that time getting treatment was brutally difficult

[I am Groot]

3 hours ago, CdnFox said:

Absolutely, it is terrible in my area and I had to wait 4 years to get a family doctor and during that time getting treatment was brutally difficult

I have a family doctor, but he's not very useful. So I pay several thousand a year to join a clinic where I can get much more attentive care and an appointment within 24 hours.