Population increase and the Wait list. A booming population and a fast-paced and equally costly advances in medical technology, Canada has faced pressure to control health expenditure. In 1989, the Canadian Coordinating Office for Health Technology Assessment was in-charged with Medical Advances assessment. For example, in the case of new cancer treatment, the latest pharmaceuticals and high-tech diagnostic tests, Canadian governments simply reduce their expenses by limiting the service. With that said, the drawback to the free resources on medical care, and to note, the only drawback is longer wait time.
Canada now faces the increased pressure for reform to adopt to the arising problem and in so doing, changing from an institutional to a community-based model. These reforms attempted to limit growth and manage the system more effectively. The general fallback of this controlling efficiency is evident by the problem of waiting lists and dilapidated technology and equipment. Fraser Institute, in a study found out that, for patients requiring surgery, the total average wait time from the initial visit to the family doctor through to surgery was 17.
7 weeks, a significantly more than the 16 weeks found in 2001. Median waiting times remain higher in every category than are deemed ‘clinically reasonable’ median waiting times by physicians in 2005. Overall, 85 per cent of median waiting times are higher than clinically reasonable waiting times. (Irvin, B. et al, 2005. Page 2) In Newfoundland and Labrador, more than 19,000 health care providers and administrators provide the health services to 505,000 residents to which the former constitutes 27% of the territory population.
Whereas in Price Edward Island, the health care services delivered by 4,500 professional staff which is quite smaller than the number of providers in Newfoundland and Labrador but is sufficient enough for the Prince Edward Island populace. This doesn’t pose any challenge to the system though, the number of health care providers, but the control on Health Care expenditure does. As has been said, the pressure to acquire more equipment to better serve each province’s populace is a balance check on what revenue progress a province has and the more rural a community, the poorer the health of people in it than in urban areas.
Rationing. Fraser Institute, in a published study found out that, for patients requiring surgery, the total average wait time from the initial visit to the family doctor through to surgery was 17. 7 weeks, a significantly more than the 16 weeks found in 2001. Median waiting times remain higher in every category than are deemed ‘clinically reasonable’ median waiting times by physicians in 2005. Overall, 85 per cent of median waiting times are higher than clinically reasonable waiting times. (Irvin, B et al. 2005) The following statistics has been discovered and the truth has been out that in 2005 Canadians waited 12.
3 weeks for an MRI scan, 5. 5 weeks for a CT-scan and 3. 4 weeks for an ultrasound. In 2002, Canada had fewer CT scanners per 1,000 individual than the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) average (10. 8 compared with 19). Similarly, it had only 4. 7 MRI scanners per 1,000 population compared with an OECD average of 7. 9. Unsurprisingly, many choose to fly south to the US for diagnosis and treatment. Canada ranked 24th out of 27 OECD countries in 2002 for the number of doctors per 1,000 individuals. It had 2. 3 compared with an OECD average of 2. 9. (Ibid)
Primarily, these statistics show us that the Canadian Government failed to provide an adequate number of equipment, basic equipment. Though they have succeeded in providing Health Care for everyone but admittedly, care is provided in generous tantamount of time, many flee to advanced medical facilities in far countries for their needs. That is if a patient can afford the travel, not to mention, the monetary amount it entails. These shortages, clearly shown, have caused a holdup in the diagnosis and treatment of fatal diseases such as cancer, heart ailments, and weakening bone and joint ailments.