Ailing Health Care

Is everything fine with the health care system in Ontario?

Patients waiting in suspended animation to get the much desired appointment with the health care professional!!!  The wait time is a burden on the system; tiring, unending in some cases for the patients. The reasons for the same are not new. These known not only to Canada but also to prospective immigrants, who still find the health care here in Canada far better than in many other countries and move over with faith reposed. Perhaps faith in a government run system is better than having just a faith in the All Mighty.  Here in Canada, the system is fair to all. The process, the waiting time, the procedure is same for all. The health system doesn’t discriminate based upon caste, creed or nationality as it happens in other countries, where money power can get one to jump the queue, get a better room and a faster & better response from the doctors.

However, one needs to ask the government. Are the doctors being treated fairly?  The negotiations for the salaries has been one big constrain, as in Ontario the doctors remained without a deal for more than two years until July. During the contract less period, Ontario unilaterally cut physician fees twice – by 3.15 per cent in February 2015 and 1.3 per cent in October 2016. The province unilaterally cut it imposed additional cuts on physicians who billed more than $1-million a year and targeted cuts in areas like diagnostic imaging. Perhaps who treat need a fairer treatment.

Once the wait time is over, the patients may get a feel that they are approaching one of the best health care system. However, certain recent cases being reported may lead to the dissimilar track.

The doctors’ regulatory body’s decision shows that license of a doctor in Ontario has been  suspended after he solicited and accepted more than $700,000 in loans from two patients, most of which he has failed to repay. The College of Physicians and Surgeons has ruled that Dr. Mirza Rajabali Virani, 67, may not practice medicine for the next eight months. As the decision was announced, the College noted that the two patients trusted their doctor, respected him. However, the case highlights that the trust was breached. The story of breach of trust started when Dr. Virani came to know about the financial situations over the course of their medical appointments, he presented them with opportunities to invest with him. The patients used their line of credit and provided the doctor with the money. The patient, a male, is originally from Iran. One of the reasons he chose Virani as his physician was because the latter speaks Pharsi, according to the College of Physicians and Surgeons’ ruling. He was Virani’s patient from 1989-2011 and during that time referred relatives and other Iranian-Canadians in his community to Virani’s practice. The second patient lost the property he owned for his business, and had to move to a rented facility because of the interest payments he had to make on the loans. The two cases replicate one simple inference, the health system is far from taking care that the health professionals maintain high degree of professional ethics and adhere to code of conduct.

In yet another case, Dr. William Arthur Damian Beairsto has been allowed to practice psychotherapy after being found guilty of sexual abuse. The findings were made against him on August 5^th, however he can continue with his job pending the penalty hearing. The date for the penalty hearing is still to be set even after seven weeks. These two cases being reported around the world, the illustration of health system in Ontario and hence in Canada is not going to get any better.

Unquestionably, the system that is meant to cure the sick is in need of the cure itself. Underpaid doctor as felt by the association of doctors, long waiting time; and rules that don’t guarantee a fair conduct can leave many crestfallen.