Canada has scored very well particularly in the basic healthcare system which has seen prevention of costly hospital admissions resulting from chronic conditions such as uncontrolled diabetes and asthma. The survival rate of those diagnosed with breast cancer and other cancers is also higher among the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries as revealed by World Health Organization. This in addition to the surveys that put the Canadian satisfaction rate with the public health policy at 85% paints a picture of a highly valued health system. The problems with universal healthcare in Canada are however revealed with many studies done on this system.
The publicly funded health system is facing major challenges that threaten to render it unsustainable in the long run. The major areas of concerns include the patient average wait time, the shortage of professional medical personnel and the increasing challenges of funding.
The Wait Time Challenges. Most of the surveys put this as the number one challenge in the Canadian health system as some surveys reveal that up to 59% of patients wait for a period of more than four weeks before they eventually get appointment with a particular health specialist.
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 concern forced the government to develop a plan to address the issue in provincial hospitals by reducing wait time particularly in the areas of cancer, heart diseases, diagnostic imaging, sight restoration and joint replacement. The plan was enrolled in 2005 but the latest surveys still indicate waiting time as their number one concern. This is persistent in the areas of specialized surgery and elective surgery where this country continues to score poorly.
Canadian nurses on the other hands have their issues. They have put forward a demand that the number of nurses be increased. In addition to this, improvement in the quality of education and expansion to their working scope also falls in to the list of their concerns. Given the pivotal role these nurses play in health sector, their demands cannot be ignored.
The other challenges that face the Canadian health system include shortage in bed capacity in many provincial hospitals. Some patients have to seek for alternative means of treatment while others have to be released earlier than their scheduled time because of this issue. This problem is largely attributed to inadequate funding from the public resources.
The government directs a huge portion of the budget into funding of the public healthcare. The strain has seen the national insurance failing to cover some supplemental benefits such as dental care. This means that the patients have to turn to private sources for treatments in such areas.
Despite all these problems with universal healthcare in Canada, the current data shows a significant improvement particularly in wait time which is the number one concern. Other positive indicators in the Canadian healthcare include high scores in survival rates in breast cancer and other forms of cancers as compared to many other developed economies. The larger majority of Canadian nationals are still in favor of this healthcare system. To them, only the shortcomings should be addressed.
The publicly funded health system is facing major challenges that threaten to render it unsustainable in the long run. The major areas of concerns include the patient average wait time, the shortage of professional medical personnel and the increasing challenges of funding.
The Wait Time Challenges. Most of the surveys put this as the number one challenge in the Canadian health system as some surveys reveal that up to 59% of patients wait for a period of more than four weeks before they eventually get appointment with a particular health specialist.
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 concern forced the government to develop a plan to address the issue in provincial hospitals by reducing wait time particularly in the areas of cancer, heart diseases, diagnostic imaging, sight restoration and joint replacement. The plan was enrolled in 2005 but the latest surveys still indicate waiting time as their number one concern. This is persistent in the areas of specialized surgery and elective surgery where this country continues to score poorly.
Canadian nurses on the other hands have their issues. They have put forward a demand that the number of nurses be increased. In addition to this, improvement in the quality of education and expansion to their working scope also falls in to the list of their concerns. Given the pivotal role these nurses play in health sector, their demands cannot be ignored.
The other challenges that face the Canadian health system include shortage in bed capacity in many provincial hospitals. Some patients have to seek for alternative means of treatment while others have to be released earlier than their scheduled time because of this issue. This problem is largely attributed to inadequate funding from the public resources.
The government directs a huge portion of the budget into funding of the public healthcare. The strain has seen the national insurance failing to cover some supplemental benefits such as dental care. This means that the patients have to turn to private sources for treatments in such areas.
Despite all these problems with universal healthcare in Canada, the current data shows a significant improvement particularly in wait time which is the number one concern. Other positive indicators in the Canadian healthcare include high scores in survival rates in breast cancer and other forms of cancers as compared to many other developed economies. The larger majority of Canadian nationals are still in favor of this healthcare system. To them, only the shortcomings should be addressed.
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