Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Canadian Premier Defends Choosing to Leave Canada For Medical Treatment in The United States

Canadian Premier Danny Williams left Canada to pay for medical treatment in the United States he could otherwise have gotten for free. At the time I asked rhetorically if a better case against socialized medicine could be made then the leaders of those countries leaving to pay for medical treatment elsewhere. The answer turns out to be yes; the justification the leader gives as to why they chose to do it. For the rest of the post I am going to do a sort of quote-translation interplay.

Quote - "Danny Williams says he was aware his trip to the United States for heart surgery earlier this month would spark outcry, but he concluded his personal health trumped any public fallout over the controversial decision."
Translation - he knew it would look bad, and may cost him politically, but he knew his best chance was in the United States.

Quote - ""This was my heart, my choice and my health," Williams said late Monday from his condominium in Sarasota, Fla.
"I did not sign away my right to get the best possible health care for myself when I entered politics."
"
Translation - Canadian healthcare is inferior to American health care.

Quote - "His doctors in Canada presented him with two options - a full or partial sternotomy, both of which would've required breaking bones, he said.
He said he spoke with and provided his medical information to a leading cardiac surgeon in New Jersey who is also from Newfoundland and Labrador. He advised him to seek treatment at the Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami.
...
Williams said Lamelas made an incision under his arm that didn't require any bone breakage.
"
Translation - American healthcare has a wider set of options, and the skill/technology to be less invasive.

Quote - ""I would've been criticized if I had stayed in Canada and had been perceived as jumping a line or a wait list. ... I accept that. That's public life," he said."
Translation - Canadian heathcare has long lines or wait lists for important procedures. Canadian politicians may be able to 'jump over' the 'little people'.

Quote - ""(But) this is not a unique phenomenon to me. This is something that happens with lots of families throughout this country, so I make no apologies for that.""
Translation - Canadians are not stupid, we know our system is worse then our neighbors to the south. Those that can, escape the system when their lives are on the line.

Quote - "Williams said his decision to go to the U.S. did not reflect any lack of faith in his own province's health care system."
Translation - Please no one call me out on my past support of this system now that you have concrete proof I would not trust it with my life, even though I force you to trust it with yours.

Quote - ""We do whatever we can to provide the best possible health care that we can in Newfoundland and Labrador. The Canadian health care system has a great reputation, but this is a very specialized piece of surgery that had to be done and I went to somebody who's doing this three or four times a day, five, six days a week.""
Translation - Our system is set up in a way that forces generalization to the determent of the patients unfortunate enough to be trapped in it.

Quote - ""I'm probably going to be around for a long time, hopefully, if God willing," he said."
Translation - Please do not screw up your medical system America, I might need to make use of it in the future.

Source for above quotes (via)

1 comment:

  1. You are probably familiar with the concept of "nomenklatura," from the Soviet Union. This episode makes it clear that a nomenklatura has been established and is in operation in Canada, and is being prepared for us.

    ReplyDelete

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