Canada has scored very well particularly in the basic healthcare system which has seen prevention of costly hospital admissions resulting from chronic conditions such as uncontrolled diabetes and asthma. The survival rate of those diagnosed with breast cancer and other cancers is also higher among the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries as revealed by World Health Organization. This in addition to the surveys that put the Canadian satisfaction rate with the public health policy at 85% paints a picture of a highly valued health system. The problems with universal healthcare in Canada are however revealed with many studies done on this system.
This is revealed in the reports showing the agony most of the patients goes through when accessing healthcare. These challenges that threaten to render the whole system unsustainable in the long run. There is a call to redesign the system in order to address the current weaknesses.
The average time a patient will wait for a doctor is very long as indicated by 59% of respondents in one survey who reveals that they take an average of four weeks before they can get to see the doctor. This situation is particularly common among those patients seeking specialized treatments in areas of sight restoration, diagnostic imaging scan, cardiac surgery and joint replacement.
Long Waiting Time. Survey after survey conducted on the Canadian healthcare and its challenges put waiting time at the top of their list of concerns. This is an area in which Canada scores very low as compared to many other nations despite the fact that the same country ranks highly when it comes to basic healthcare. A Commonwealth survey conducted in 2010 for instance put the percentage of patients waiting for specialists for a period of four weeks at 59% which is double that of United States.
The issue has been so persistent forcing the federal government to take measures with the aim of addressing it. The year 2005 for instance saw the federal government and the provincial hospitals draw a ten year plan that would see the significant reduction in the average wait time. The problem has not yet been fully solved almost 10 years later.
Shortage of Doctors and Other Health Professionals. This is also a major concern as revealed by health surveys in Canada which put it at the second position after the wait time. The problem is largely explained by the immigration of doctors across the border to the United States where the average pay for a doctor is slightly higher than that of Canada. The result is that there are large numbers of patients seeking treatment against few health professionals available in public hospitals.
Nurses on the other hand have continuously expressed their dissatisfaction as they want the number of nurses significantly increased. Improvement in nursing education and maximization of the scope of nursing practice also form parts of their demands. Such shortages in numbers of doctors and nurses only increases the wait time in public hospitals.
All these challenges in addition to smaller ones like shortage of beds in wards in a significant numbers of public hospitals and the concern that budgetary allocation towards this health policy put a lot of strains in this the economy increases concerns as to whether this policy will be sustainable in the long run.
Despite all these problems with universal healthcare in Canada, the current data shows a significant improvement particularly in wait time which is the number one concern. Other positive indicators in the Canadian healthcare include high scores in survival rates in breast cancer and other forms of cancers as compared to many other developed economies. The larger majority of Canadian nationals are still in favor of this healthcare system. To them, only the shortcomings should be addressed.
This is revealed in the reports showing the agony most of the patients goes through when accessing healthcare. These challenges that threaten to render the whole system unsustainable in the long run. There is a call to redesign the system in order to address the current weaknesses.
The average time a patient will wait for a doctor is very long as indicated by 59% of respondents in one survey who reveals that they take an average of four weeks before they can get to see the doctor. This situation is particularly common among those patients seeking specialized treatments in areas of sight restoration, diagnostic imaging scan, cardiac surgery and joint replacement.
Long Waiting Time. Survey after survey conducted on the Canadian healthcare and its challenges put waiting time at the top of their list of concerns. This is an area in which Canada scores very low as compared to many other nations despite the fact that the same country ranks highly when it comes to basic healthcare. A Commonwealth survey conducted in 2010 for instance put the percentage of patients waiting for specialists for a period of four weeks at 59% which is double that of United States.
The issue has been so persistent forcing the federal government to take measures with the aim of addressing it. The year 2005 for instance saw the federal government and the provincial hospitals draw a ten year plan that would see the significant reduction in the average wait time. The problem has not yet been fully solved almost 10 years later.
Shortage of Doctors and Other Health Professionals. This is also a major concern as revealed by health surveys in Canada which put it at the second position after the wait time. The problem is largely explained by the immigration of doctors across the border to the United States where the average pay for a doctor is slightly higher than that of Canada. The result is that there are large numbers of patients seeking treatment against few health professionals available in public hospitals.
Nurses on the other hand have continuously expressed their dissatisfaction as they want the number of nurses significantly increased. Improvement in nursing education and maximization of the scope of nursing practice also form parts of their demands. Such shortages in numbers of doctors and nurses only increases the wait time in public hospitals.
All these challenges in addition to smaller ones like shortage of beds in wards in a significant numbers of public hospitals and the concern that budgetary allocation towards this health policy put a lot of strains in this the economy increases concerns as to whether this policy will be sustainable in the long run.
Despite all these problems with universal healthcare in Canada, the current data shows a significant improvement particularly in wait time which is the number one concern. Other positive indicators in the Canadian healthcare include high scores in survival rates in breast cancer and other forms of cancers as compared to many other developed economies. The larger majority of Canadian nationals are still in favor of this healthcare system. To them, only the shortcomings should be addressed.
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