An opinion piece calling for private health care to replace aspects of Canadian Medicare has dumbfounded some readers
Alongside this, our province continues to explore more avenues of privatization while underfunding public services, then claim it isn’t working — a well-known strategy.
Let’s be clear: time and time again for-profit health care has been shown to compromise quality of care, cost more, fail to address staffing shortages and poor working conditions, and only benefit those rich enough to afford it, leaving many working class and poor people behind.
Medicare was created precisely because that ‘everyone-for-themselves-private-way’ wasn’t working. We can’t afford to go back. These corporate talking points always hide a profit motive, and they should make us wary. When we see these groups pushing for private care we must follow the money.
Krystal Lewis, Regina
Lewis is the provincial director of the non-profit Saskatchewan Health Coalition, a member based non-profit public health-care advocacy organization.
Private medicine op-ed dumbfounding
I was dumfounded when I saw the heading for Dom Lucyk’s opinion piece in the Sept. 29 issue of the Leader Post: “Bold steps are needed to fix health; Paying for surgeries should be an option.” It was like being thrown back into the Dark Ages.
In 1961-62 we knew that health care should not be provided for only those who could afford it, but for all who needed it, and we worked hard to get universal publicly funded health care.
Admittedly, there is a shortage of health-care providers, but I haven’t heard anyone say that low income is the problem. There are other ways of stretching the health-care dollar that are fairer than favouring those who can privately fund it.
Private funding gives the wealthy an advantage in entering the surgery queue, which isn’t fair to those who have the most urgent need. I believe we have to think of new ways to provide health services. I’m sure some rural women would be happy to train and work as midwives.
Another option would be for municipal councils to establish community clinics. In a rural area, some medical workers may feel more comfortable in a group practice. With tele-health to connect rural workers to specialists, much can be accomplished remotely.
We must not revert to privately funded health care.
Verda Petry, Regina
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