Speaking of the medical system, my doctor says.....
By Ray on January 22, 2008 - 7:27am
My doctor, who has been a general practitioner (GP) for going on three decades now, tells me that one of the main problems with the system is that government health authorities have refused to pay doctors a decent rate for hospital visits, house calls, and even office visits in recent times. So most doctors have stopped making house calls, and limit their hospital visits, and
now require an office visit for prescription renewals. I asked "Where do you feel there's a clog in the system?" The answer was: "At the provincial government level. Provincial governments appear to be receiving adequate funding from Ottawa, but this is not being passed along to the people who actually have the responsibility for making the system work. As a result, doctors have
reduced services, waiting lists have increased too much, and there's a shortage of doctors, because young people are reluctant to get into that whole thing. The ones who are graduating are specializing, so that they can earn more, and have more time for themselves. This leaves most people going to clinics, which are great for quick service, but lack the continuity and follow-up of a regular family doctor." - And that's a doctor's perspective on all that.
