Doctors and nurses leveled some harsh criticisms at the government for mismanaging the healthcare system in a recent survey.
Research conducted by Blu Ivy Group asked 359 healthcare professionals for their opinions about the state of the field in Canada.
One physician said that Canada’s healthcare troubles were happening well before the Covid-19 pandemic.
“It’s not the pandemic. This has been a long time coming — underfunding, burnout, poor efforts at retention, horrible working conditions and regulations, boomers retiring and getting sick. Malignant governmental and societal neglect of healthcare,” said one doctor.
Others also blamed incompetent and “top-heavy” hospital administration for the current crisis.
“I used to have three managers. Now there are well over 20 various managers and directors, and no one is held accountable. It’s a horrifying top-heavy disaster and a huge waste of health care money,” said one nurse.
“There are too many incompetent administrators right now. Decisions are being made from the top down, which is putting patients, staff, and everyone at risk,” another nurse commented.
A November study by the Calgary-based think tank SecondStreet.org found that there were nearly three million Canadians on a healthcare waitlist to access surgeries, scans or specialists. Ontario and Quebec saw some of the highest numbers of people on wait lists.
“The stories behind many of those numbers are pretty atrocious. Sadly, some patients are even dying while waiting to receive a diagnostic scan or meet with a specialist, never mind getting to the point where they’ve been put on a surgical wait list,” explained president Colin Craig.
When it comes to solutions, healthcare workers cited fast tracking professionals from abroad as well as firing unnecessary managers and directors.
“Fire all managers and directors who do not or are not able to work in the areas they manage. They (should) have to work a shift once a month in all the areas they manage. Go back to training all nurses in the hospitals like they used to,” said one nurse.
Last week, Canada’s premiers demanded that the federal government engage in talks about healthcare funding.
“What we’re calling for today is just a meeting to sit down with the prime minister to have the discussion about fair and sustainable funding for the future of health care in our country,” said Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson.
