44 Replies to “Tommy Douglas: Not Dead Enough”

  2. The oncologist worked nearly every day for 13 years, but the province couldn’t hire a specialist in the field, as positions open in Calgary and Ontario offered a much lighter workload than Saskatoon and Regina. And, when a young specialist sought a job in the field in Saskatoon, she was never given a job offer. Soon, there will be only one gynecological oncologist for the entire province. Other small cities in the east are facing shortages as well. Big brother loves you, and will always care for you.

  3. Well, this didn’t happen on a socialist party’s watch…which makes it completely unforgiveable.

    Wall and Moe wear this one. And I bet you not one head will roll.

    1. The shiny edifice called Medicare or socialized medicine started 56 years ago in Sask. under CCF Premier Woodrow Lloyd with Canada and the other provinces eventually adopting the same single payer model.
      Reform is impossible because any admission that Canadians have been sold a clunky Soviet-style apparatus flies in the face of 5 decades of propaganda deliberately churned out to ensure that the system remains exactly the same way forevermore. If you think that’s an exaggeration check out the advertising the unions use to defend the status quo.

      1. In 1962 when Medicare started in Sask. Tommy Douglas, voted greatest Canadian in a CBC poll, had already moved on to Federal politics where his socialist perspective plus a succession of Federal minority governments helped ensure that his stupid ideas became enshrined into Canadian law.
        Incidentally 1962 precipitated the first wave of Sask doctors who headed stateside where their services were less likely to be included in some Fabian Socialist’s dream of total class warfare.

  5. A job advertisement promises $467,000 – $587,000 annually, plus a $30,000 signing bonus with a three year return-of-service commitment.

    I have a mind to go back to school and earn a medical degree, Intern in this specialty and begin practicing. With this kind of reward, why isn’t Canada producing more physicians and/or specialists? These physicians could easily bank $1M in 3-years. After 13 years of practice, the featured physician should have easily banked $5M. I suppose he could retire quite comfortably on that kind of skrill in Saskatoon. Burnout? … or the lure of a comfortable retirement?

    So is it the location? Is that the problem? We have that problem here in the States. Young MD’s aren’t very enthusiastic about practicing in flyover country, esp. out in the country.

    1. With this kind of reward, these physicians will be banking a lot of that $467,000 – 587,000 back in the government’s accounts. Taxes are high, the government needs a lot of money to pay for free healthcare.

    2. “why isn’t Canada producing more physicians and/or specialists?”

      I think we educate about 250 Saudi doctors a year. The government universities do it for the big money they charge. All of our doctors come from Africa.

    3. Doctors in Canada are responsible for carrying the cost of their practice, ie, files, staff, office etc. 600 k don’t go far.

  6. you mean all those foreigners that we trained at the u of s didn’t stay…..i’m shocked..brad gets to carry the bucket on this one …perhaps if wall hadn’t given the nurses a 35% increase(buying peace with the union) right off the bat we would have the money for a few more specialists. what’s the cost of the bill boyd bypass up to now.????? are we up to 2 billion yet???

  7. We could always try first nations traditional medicine. There must be a sacred herb somewhere that will treat these diseases.

    1. If you listen to the “alternative medicine” naturopathic true-believers … they’ll tell you that native women NEVER experienced cervical cancer. There is NOTHING in the folklore and handed down narrative histories about cervical cancer – therefore, it never existed. They will claim that cervical cancer is caused by “factory farming of livestock”, or “hormones in the meat”, or environmental hazards such as “off-gassing from carpeting”, or “toxins in automobile exhaust” … you’ve heard all this before.

      If the women of Saskatoon simply adopted a traditional native lifestyle, living in the dirt with no modern hazards, then they’d all live -disease free- to the ripe old age of 42 … then float off to the Great spirit in the sky.

    2. Didn’t they just legalize it? That stuff that cures the problem of people noticing there are problems and then complaining about them?

  8. I had a good neighbor in Calgary who was an oral surgeon. He was on call every other weekend at the hospital should someone be injured in the mouth, lower jaw area because of an accident. Every other year he must re-qualify by studying and writing examinations as well as performing a practical examination. He has to pay for these study sessions as well as the provincial board examinations. His medical malpractice insurance is “through the roof”. He is also fed up with the office politics at his practice and so has decided to retire at 55 to enjoy the money which he has earned through 25 years of practice before he dies of an early death caused by burn-out. He is extremely qualified and in fact has done cranial facial surgery (where your face needs to be “re-adjusted” to better proportions for practicality such as eating as well as aesthetics).
    Tommy Douglas’s idea of medicare was that you would not go bankrupt should you be in a car accident or break your leg. When it was introduced, there was no open-heart surgery, there was no major cancer surgeries/treatment, there were no MRI’s or CAT scans. All of this first world medicine is very expensive and our socialized health care is collapsing slowly to be followed by collapsing fast.

    1. Of course, Sarah Palin was correct by claiming Obamakkare included “Death Panels”. Obviously not by that name, but it surely includes a bureaucracy that decides whether “heroic” measures be taken to provide “end of life” care. Obamakkare acknowledged it could only survive, economically, by limiting healthcare.

      I am diabetic, and have had a hip replaced. My care in America, under my wife’s “Cadillac care” (as described by Obamakkare) medical insurance has been nothing short of spectacular. No waiting for my hip replacement which was performed by perhaps the BEST specialist in the USA. All the Endocrinologist specialty work with me has been wonderful, with constant blood work and health monitoring. I had an MRI, when my Dr. suspected a pituitary problem (it was clear). And I just had a Basal cell carcinoma removed from my back (benign), by my 77yo Dermatologist who had retired … got bored … and went back to his practice. Thank you! So good to be cared-for by an experienced Physician.

      Sorry … I sound like an “old person” who tells everyone about their ailments. Actually, my health is quite good as I; carefully manage my diabetes, eat home-cooked well balanced meals every day, get reasonable exercise (doing my own home and auto maintenance), and live a fairly stress-free life. The point is that I don’t NEED or WANT government health care. Why upset our EXCELLENT so-called “profit-driven” medical system?

      And if you want to moan and say … “sure, you have great medical care, but what about poor people?” My special-needs adult son has received FREE medical care from the government long before Obamakkare made him start paying for it. Obamakkare actually screwed-up his medical care, by replacing his long-time Dr. and making him PAY (a small amount) for his insurance. This has directly CAUSED him to go off his meds and get committed to the mental hospital. Thanks Obamakkare. For ruining his life. The FACT IS that the government (we taxpayers) provided FREE medical for my needy adult son who worked a subsistence level job – BEFORE Obamakkare. Now he is unemployed and a massive burden on the system … thanks Obamakkare. Thanks for less than NOTHING. Thanks for destroying my son’s life. Socialism = death. How many more examples does one need?

  9. I suspect this is why there are so few native doctors in Britain anymore. Anyone with the smarts and work ethic to be a doctor, and the resources to attend medical school can find much more lucrative ways to earn a living than working for the NHS.

  10. This is a no win bad situation.
    Doctors in general don’t like to move into a small town way away from a big town.
    The hours are not pleasant. The pay is good though if you have socialist medicine there is an unwanted limit on spending.
    They promised health care for everyone so everyone gets a bit.
    Bad situation.
    More doctors means more health care money means more taxes, to pay for their education for their work.
    You see, there is limited money, the Fast Practice clinics in Calgary and area are full of immigrants every hour of every day. You go to get a test and in waiting room you feel like you are in Middle East or India or Africa or all of them at the same time.
    This is not to shame anyone, it is a fact. It is mostly older people that the idiot in Ottawa invited to come and they fill the space in doctors offices because they can.
    There is this ever-present familiar catch about unintended consequences, the idiot politicians usually don’t see past their stupid noses.

    Your agent being old don’t care to spend a minute in doctor’s office. They eliminated the herbalists, the Chinese were very good at this, so who you gonna call.
    The Chinese have this idea that there is an herb for every ailment, in a big scheme of things it is possible. They have some 5000 years of trial and error to go on.

    Anyway, the health care is a big problem. It appears that there is never enough money the nurses make. Never enough money to pay the doctors, that is why there are so few specialists.
    There are all kinds of doctors in the Fast Practice clinics, its easy money for them. You can’t get a checkup, they tell you and have a sign in the office, one problem at a time, make another appointment.

    Health care is a very big and troubling dilemma.
    It is insolvable problem, matters not politics, matters not money.
    Maybe Obama has some ideas.

  11. I Have a son-in-law in Med school. The hoops that are to be jumped through are insane. I understand they just don’t want anybody in med school, but it seems very difficult considering the shortage of doctors. I don’t know the answers, but status quo are not working in the system we currently have. I have friends going to the USA (1 went to Germany) for surgeries that were on a long waiting list in Canada or outright unavailable. We DO NOT have the best healthcare in the world. Not even close.

    1. “I understand they just don’t want anybody in med school, but it seems very difficult considering the shortage of doctors.”

      I don’t know why there can’t be a more comprehensive vocational system that creates many, many more specialist, high-skill nurses and paramedics to provide procedure support and relief to MDs. Perhaps the civilian medical system could take advice from the military, where NCO medical assistants play a crucial role?

      Why not “civilian medical assistants” with paramedical capabilities?

      1. Coupled with a 30% rise in personal income taxes on the middle class.

        At that point I’d be tempted to cross the US border illegally and claim asylum.

      2. JJM- The problem is, with government calling the shots, you will soon have your mystery disease diagnosed by people with an 8th grade education.

        You never hear of government getting more experienced ( expensive) doctors, only cheaper ones. Single payer puts the patient second.

    2. ….Nor the most affordable Dental Care either….no plan.?? youre SCREWED buddy boy.
      Need to replace a 35 yr old set of bridges…? Was quoted $10,900 to do that along with a crown on 1 other tooth. I just laughed at the Caglary Dentist in her million dollar facility….

      Mexico here I come. Same quality care – top of the line equipment and American/Canadian Trained DENTISTS…my price ~ $3200-3500 USD. That I can handle.

  12. I didn’t see anywhere in the CBC article where they admitted it would be a good idea for their current billion dollar subsidy to be redirected to the health care budget. That would be a step in the right direction.

  13. the stupid in here hurts today. All the medical systems in the world that are better than ours have a single payer system as a base. And private as an up grade, at your expense. Now, what all the deniers in here fail to mention, that Tommy Eugenics douglASS was a good god christian preacher. Socialism and christianism run hand in hand. Or better yet, communism and chatholicism are bed buddies in most parts of the world. As to who is to blame, it’s the voters stupid. They voted in the previous fools who destroyed our system. Throw in self serving unions, and voila, you got what you voted for, now quit cher bitchin!!!

    1. I would argue Tommy’s problem was that he was a simple-minded fanatic, when it came to politics. It made him blind to all else.

    2. Funny how only the K-becers have been able to do add user pay upgrades to a limited degree. The Health Act prohibits it which of course is bullshit.

    1. He’s obviously been hurt by a Christian at some point – badly hurt. I could do that kind of raving at, say, Hitler and his crew but I can’t think of anyone, or any group. Except, if I had lost a loved one on 9/11, I certainly would be foaming angry at all followers of Mo. We’ll never know, but Christianity and Christians set him off when no one else does.

  15. https://www.google.ca/search?num=20&newwindow=1&q=montana+Drs+gynecologic+oncologist&npsic=0&rflfq=1&rlha=0&rllag=47084254,-111421447,262958&tbm=lcl&ved=2ahUKEwjc3ZH49MffAhUD3lQKHT6iBLsQjGp6BAgAEDc&tbs=lrf:!2m1!1e2!2m1!1e3!3sIAE,lf:1,lf_ui:2&rldoc=1#rlfi=hd:;si:;mv:!1m2!1d51.0510658417143!2d-103.01141352031249!2m2!1d42.25617293636914!2d-119.68865961406249!4m2!1d46.833142423122666!2d-111.35003656718749!5i6

    Strangely enough, all 4 of the specialists in this field at the Billings Montana clinic are accepting new patients. I doubt having the CBC budget thrown into the mix would help. None of the Drs fed up with the system mentioned not being paid enough, they want support, a few days off, not being on call for a month straight if the other Dr is taking a long weekend. Normal things. Look at how many administrators fill out paper shuffles at every step.

    What would Sask Health say if someone offered to move to Saskatoon but only work a normal business week. Something those in the unions would normally support. How about 8am – 4 pm Monday to Friday? We’ll likely never know.

    https://www.billingsclinic.com/find-a-doctor/search-results/?searchId=a4db3454-4b0c-e911-a2d7-001dd8b71cda&sort=10&page=1&altSearchId=a4db3454-4b0c-e911-a2d7-001dd8b71cda

    1. “I doubt having the CBC budget thrown into the mix would help. None of the Drs fed up with the system mentioned not being paid enough, they want support, a few days off, not being on call for a month straight if the other Dr is taking a long weekend.”

      Taking the money from the CBC budget could help if it was spent on recruiting (possibly by funding their training) additional doctors to share the workload. You are right if you mean paying the existing doctors more money to go on as they are won’t fix this because their complaint isn’t “not enough pay to make the work worth it,” it’s not enough life left to themselves to make their pay worth the work.

  16. Canada’s health care ranks around 30th in the world. Usually tied or close to Cuba.

    Many of our med students upon graduation move to the US where they stand a better chance of making money and have a higher standard of living.

    A medical education is highly subsidized in Canada. The taxpayer is on board all the way. We get no return on investment when a graduate immediately leaves.

    Canada has partially alleviated the problem by recruiting docs from South Africa. We have plundered SA. We’re now branching out into other regions of Africa in our desperate attempt to keep the medical system afloat. Foreign docs will take rural positions until they establish themselves- then they move to the cities.

    1. I know of one African doctor in general practise, recruited via England, who was happy enough practising here but his wife, a pharmacist, couldn’t find a suitable position closer than Calgary, and he could also find a suitable position in Calgary. So he did.

      People in these professions are wanted and will be offered many opportunities. The opportunities we offer will not be competitive just on the basis of pay. If the positions we offer don’t also give them professional satisfaction and all-round quality of life, they’ll move on. A management system based in government bureaucracy and catering to unions is not by nature suited to this.

  17. My wife has recently experienced the UK NHS, after “missing the last step” on our staircase.

    From the prompt arrival of the ambulance, to the pinning of her ankle – nothing but a caring concern for her comfort, full explanation of what was wrong and how it was to be corrected.

    Her stay at the hospital was comfortable, towards the end we were given instructions in how to gently increase the amount of mobility she should attempt at this stage – having thick plaster cast and a supporting large boot.

    We were provided with a zimmer frame, an adjustable height tubular steel armchair, crutches and – as she was not permitted to climb stairs – a commode. I supplemented these with a rented wheelchair from the Red Cross for our taxi journey to and from the hospital.

    The heavy plaster was removed when an x-ray showed the pinning and bone growth were successful, and light physio for the foot demonstrated.

    Following a further x-ray, healing had progressed sufficiently to do away with the plaster altogether, and more advanced physio for the foot and ankle. We attend fortnightly physiotherapy sessions to advance the healing and flexibility of the ankle.

    Although she walks slowly and carefully (as instructed) we can now go shopping locally together, Monday we will be bussing to town, and Tuesday we will visit our Allotment, and I shall be instructed as to which of our winter crops to lift for the next 7 days.

    Our branch of the NHS has taken on board the need for specialist nurses at each stage to free up Specialist Doctors to practice their higher level skills where most needed. Communication between hospital staff appears to us to be excellent.

    A far cry from my treatment for a similar accident at St. Stephens Abattoir – sorry Hospital – Fulham Road in the 1960s.
    Crepe bandage & kicked out. “Don’t use it too much for a month or so.”

    1. Fred Steeter This is OT but what does this mean:
      “Tuesday we will visit our Allotment, and I shall be instructed as to which of our winter crops to lift for the next 7 days”

      1. Not entirely OT. Lot of adverse comments on Government Provided Health Care here, so I thought I would ramble on about our great experience at our local NHS Hospital. Just to give a more positive view.

        Also, with reference to specialist burn-out:
        “Our branch of the NHS has taken on board the need for specialist nurses at each stage to free up Specialist Doctors to practice their higher level skills where most needed. Communication between hospital staff appears to us to be excellent.”

        Local Authorities provide Vegetable Garden Allotments fot those who wish to grow their own vegetables. The Mrs and I rent one. She has not been able to visit for a couple of months.
        (And, as temporary Housewife & Home Nurse, neither was I.)

        So, she was able to make it to the allotment today, pleased as punch that she can now walk there and back. Great service (in this case) by the NHS.

  18. “A management system based in government bureaucracy and catering to unions is not by nature suited to this…”
    ..and we keep repeating the same things over and over.
    We allegedly live in a free market system where market forces are allowed to correct for wants and needs in the marketplace, but when it comes to Canadian medical care the use of the invisible hand and market forces are forbidden.

  19. Single payer systems are necessarily rationed systems. Monopoly single payer systems enjoy shortages and or surpluses expressed as wait times and empty facilities. Heavily unionized monopoly single payer systems enjoy the bonus of stifling the faux theatre of reform while adding toxic attitude to the brew. Canada has the trifecta of health care disadvantage…. And the American left can’t wait to join us!

  20. The vast quantities of money and resources that are being wasted on “green energy” (also the billion and a half per yer year wasted on the CBC) would go a long way toward solving the health care problems. The revenue and resources that are being thwarted by the current Federal government is only exacerbating the problem. An administration that would tell the Co2 nuts to go to hell, and that would prioritize present needs of society over the nebulous, remotely possible, perceived future needs is sorely needed. But it won’t happen. At least not in my now limited foreseeable future.

    1. Throwing more money at our system will yield very little benefit. Health care bureaucracies pontificate on all the politically correct themes de jour but un-moored from the market as they are, they go off in all directions and only satisfy those would-be consumers occasionally and then purely by accident.

  21. My family physician since 1994 is currently off duty with no known date for him to return to his practice. He may never return. I’m estimating his age at 55 years. I wish him all the best. A very good doctor.

  22. 5+ years ago I had a fascinating conversation with our next door neighbour (at that time), a young Korean-Canadian dentist. Somehow the conversation got around to why / how each of us chose our careers. He said “My entire life my Korean parents pushed me to become a doctor, so I took sciences and did well in high school and university … but when it came time to choose I refused to work for any government, anywhere, ever. So I picked dentistry, and here I am with no regrets at all.”

    Notice that the ‘Yellow Pages’ (online) have no doctors listed wherever in Canada you live but they have vast numbers of dentists – no shortages of ANYTHING when the government stays FARRRRRRRR away!

    If you live near Victoria, BC, here’s where Dr. Jimmy Kim now works. http://www.hatleydental.com/

  23. Remember that time Trudeau and Billy Porneau sent the CRA after doctors?

    At what point do the doctors in Canada start refusing to treat the families of these people? Wonder when Boxer will be carted off to the knacker…

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