The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
By Jonathon Naylor Health care consistently tops the list of Canadian concerns, vacating its perch only in times of economic anxiety. Many claim the shortcomings in our health care system stem from chronic underfunding, an unwillingness on the part of governments of all stripes to step up to the plate and spend what is necessary. But in the case of the NOR-MAN Regional Health Authority at least, cash flow and staffing do not appear to be the problem. Health care spending in our region has been skyrocketing. It has shot up 2.5 times since 1999, going from some $38 million to an astounding $95 million this year. What's more, the NRHA, as of January 2009, employed 989 people Ð an incredible ratio of one worker for every 26 residents in our region. From the confines of Flin Flon, it is not clear how well this system is working for people in The Pas, Pukatawagan, Grand Rapids or the other communities within the NRHA. But for our city it is failing and has been for quite some time. Appointments Many residents can't get a doctor's appointment in anything resembling a timely manner, if at all. Because of this, the hospital ER is often clogged with non-urgent patients who can be forced to wait hours to see a physician. In some cases, people say they are going without care altogether. Residents are traveling to The Pas to see specialists, even general practitioners, or to get a CT scan or treatment for serious addictions and mental health issues. One would assume, not unreasonably, that with the NRHA's vast resources and workforce, Flin Flon would be a shining example of how our nationalized medical system can thrive. Instead, we see dollar after dollar funneled into buildings and bureaucrats when all residents want are a few more doctors and a reasonable level of in-house specialized care. Residents understand that Flin Flon will never be Winnipeg, that we do not have the critical mass to warrant all manner of health services. But we have to do better than this. Sensing this, Health Minister Theresa Oswald has ordered an operational review of the NRHA. As this review moves forward, it must take a serious look at how necessary all of those 989 positions are. Identify frivolities and use the savings to entice needed medical professionals with the promise of higher salaries. Money talks. The review must also examine how it is possible for the NRHA to boost annual spending by some $57 million Ð an extra $4.75 million every month Ð between 1999 and 2010 without Flin Flonners noticing much, if any, improvement in the care they receive. Writing cheques Unfortunately, it is Ms. Oswald and her government who have been writing the cheques for the NRHA since 1999. The province is as much to blame as anyone else for the present-day realities we face. In fairness, some of the complaints Flin Flonners have are not unique to the NRHA. Few cities can claim to have enough doctors, and no medical system is free from perceived human error. Nonetheless, last week's health forum Ð attended by roughly 350 concerned citizens Ð illustrates that Flin Flon is no longer willing to accept the status quo. The community must remain vigilant toward both the NRHA and the provincial government to ensure things change for the better. Local Angle runs Fridays.
