To the Editor,
The present health care system we have in effect is failing us big time. There is no sense of urgency in the system.
The system is run on a first come first serve basis just like when booking a vacation at the travel agent. The doctor fills out the form for a medical procedure, hands the request to a receptionist who then makes the appointment for the medical procedure.
That is wrong, because we only live once with our bodies. We are not a car, boat, or a refrigerator. Our bodies are like a time bomb. Time is of the utmost importance, in medical issues.
These forms the doctors fill out should have three option boxes that the doctor must check off. The three boxes should be can’t wait, can wait, and exploratory.
An example of CAN’T WAIT is after a cancer operation has been performed. After such operations, further CT scans, MRI’s etc., are required. The waiting times are too long for these further tests and the results mean nothing as the cancer has advanced, but if the test was done using CAN’T WAIT, further procedures could have been done to stop the cancer from spreading further.
Another example is people requiring knee replacement operations. Two people require knee replacement operations. One is still walking without a cane, and the other is walking with two canes. The present system is allowing the person without using a cane to have their operation first before the person walking with two canes. No sense of urgency. The person still walking without a cane should have the box checked off as CAN WAIT and the person using two canes should have the box checked off as CAN’T WAIT.
The exploratory box would be checked off for items to complete your medical file after a recent medical check up. You are in perfect health, but just some basic tests to complete your file.
All we hear about the present medical system is that we need more employees and longer operating hours. Complete hogwash.
Put the above three box check off system into action and the system would work in accordance with urgency being first down the ladder to minor and wait times would no longer be a factor issue.
Joe Sawchuk,
Duncan