The Universal Healthcare has been hailed as a holy grail of Canadian society. Many of the health reports published paint this publicly funded health system as a reflection of their core values. Such conclusions are easily made basing on the surveys that put Canadian satisfaction rate with the health system at 85%. There are however several problems with universal healthcare in Canada that have persisted over time.
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 major areas that paints a wrong picture in this health system includes wait time which ranks as the top concern, access and shortage of healthcare providers. In addition to these, other emerging issues such as environmental health challenges such as air and water pollutions are also becoming major areas of concern.
The challenge is particularly worse when it come to diseases that are classified as acute and requires specialized attention. Heart diseases, cancer, joint replacement, sight restoration and diagnostic imaging are some of the areas where Canada scores poorly in terms of waiting period before seeing a doctor.
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 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 major areas that paints a wrong picture in this health system includes wait time which ranks as the top concern, access and shortage of healthcare providers. In addition to these, other emerging issues such as environmental health challenges such as air and water pollutions are also becoming major areas of concern.
The challenge is particularly worse when it come to diseases that are classified as acute and requires specialized attention. Heart diseases, cancer, joint replacement, sight restoration and diagnostic imaging are some of the areas where Canada scores poorly in terms of waiting period before seeing a doctor.
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 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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