The recent publication by the Health Council of Canada put emphasis on the value Canadians put in their universal healthcare that is publicly funded. The report put the citizen satisfaction level very high and is said to reflect their pride as a society. The problems with universal healthcare in Canada still persisted as revealed by this report.
These concerns threaten to render this noble course unsustainable if not addressed. The major areas that noted numerous complains include waiting time and insufficient number of healthcare professionals which persist disregarding the prevailing economic conditions of the country.
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.
This situation forced the federal government to device a 10 year plan in 2005 to see the issue solved. As much as the current data is showing a decreasing trend in wait time, the issue still emerges as the top of the concern among the majority of the Canadian population.
The shortage of health professionals is also a challenge in health sector. There is evidence of brain drain where some doctors are known to cross borders to the United States where the pay is considered to be slightly better. This contributes to shortage in the number of doctors available to take care of patients particularly those suffering from chronic diseases.
Canadian nurses on the other hands have their issues. They have put forward a demand that the number of nurses be increased. In addition to this, improvement in the quality of education and expansion to their working scope also falls in to the list of their concerns. Given the pivotal role these nurses play in health sector, their demands cannot be ignored.
Nurses are also not happy. They have put up demands which include an increase in numbers of nurses, better education and maximization of the scope of practice. Such concerns cannot be ignored as they play crucial role in success of this universal health system.
The Budget Constraints. Some surveys have concluded that Canadian health system is simply unsustainable. This is in reference to the continuous challenges the government is facing in financing the public health system. The impact is the shortages in bed space in hospital wards. The public insurance plan has also been unable to cover most of the supplementary services such as dental care where patients are forced to either use their own finances or opt for private covers including employer-sponsored plans.
Despite these shortcomings, many Canadians still value their health system very much and would prefer that the problems with universal healthcare in Canada are addressed rather than the whole system being shut down. Those in favor of the radical measures in correcting the system are still the majority according to a poll conducted in 2007 by Queens University Kingston, Ontario.
These concerns threaten to render this noble course unsustainable if not addressed. The major areas that noted numerous complains include waiting time and insufficient number of healthcare professionals which persist disregarding the prevailing economic conditions of the country.
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.
This situation forced the federal government to device a 10 year plan in 2005 to see the issue solved. As much as the current data is showing a decreasing trend in wait time, the issue still emerges as the top of the concern among the majority of the Canadian population.
The shortage of health professionals is also a challenge in health sector. There is evidence of brain drain where some doctors are known to cross borders to the United States where the pay is considered to be slightly better. This contributes to shortage in the number of doctors available to take care of patients particularly those suffering from chronic diseases.
Canadian nurses on the other hands have their issues. They have put forward a demand that the number of nurses be increased. In addition to this, improvement in the quality of education and expansion to their working scope also falls in to the list of their concerns. Given the pivotal role these nurses play in health sector, their demands cannot be ignored.
Nurses are also not happy. They have put up demands which include an increase in numbers of nurses, better education and maximization of the scope of practice. Such concerns cannot be ignored as they play crucial role in success of this universal health system.
The Budget Constraints. Some surveys have concluded that Canadian health system is simply unsustainable. This is in reference to the continuous challenges the government is facing in financing the public health system. The impact is the shortages in bed space in hospital wards. The public insurance plan has also been unable to cover most of the supplementary services such as dental care where patients are forced to either use their own finances or opt for private covers including employer-sponsored plans.
Despite these shortcomings, many Canadians still value their health system very much and would prefer that the problems with universal healthcare in Canada are addressed rather than the whole system being shut down. Those in favor of the radical measures in correcting the system are still the majority according to a poll conducted in 2007 by Queens University Kingston, Ontario.
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