This past fall I attended conferences examining the right balance between public health services and private/for-profit health services in Canada. Open to providers, caregivers, businesses, patients, and governments, these events are heard from players entrusted with guiding the current health systems throughout our country.
After I attended the events I did not discern a consensus from the participants to abandon our public health system in Canada. A cross-section of providers, caregivers, and associations certainly raised their concerns about the challenges facing patients and communities. And the magnitude of these concerns was not minimized. Several participants also talked about innovative approaches that were being introduced in different parts of the country. But I came away feeling more perplexed than energized.
I came away with a feeling of frustration over what the stewards of our healthcare system are doing about the mounting challenges facing healthcare. As usual provincial premiers are on the hot seat and have their own opinions on the current state of affairs. With provinces struggling to find lasting solutions, it’s some premiers that seem to be defaulting to a corporate model of for-profit healthcare. The public on the other hand doesn’t seem to be on the same page as their premiers. The voters’ feelings may be one of betrayal.
Worldwide events change everything. We cannot ignore the revolutionary impacts that pandemics, climate change, immigration, internet/AI, and wars bring to our world. By their very nature, they are disruptive events that transform our world. They are realities that are dramatically impacting our health services. But it is simplistic to pretend that private health care is a quick and universal solution in the face of these global shifts. Equally, we have to accept that new and imaginative solutions are out there waiting to be discovered.
My comments are not a reflection on the conferences themselves. Well organized and well run, they were hosted by The Globe and Mail, Andre Picard, and sponsored by the Canadian Medical Association. GreenShield Care also sponsored a Globe and Mail event. There were no registration fees and access was provided either virtually or in person at the Globe and Mail’s impressive centre in Toronto. What the events did do for me – was make me realize that we are looking for solutions in the wrong place.