U.S. Customs delays ambulance at border
Brenda @ Fri Nov 23, 2007 2:21 pm
Alta_redneck Alta_redneck:
Brenda Brenda:
Anyway, I chose not to live in the big city for a reason, so I don't think the lines will be that long here

You know more about the system here than your letting on.
When you live out in the sticks you phone your backwoods Dr's office at 8:00 am, can usually see him before noon. Have blood test done at the backwoods hospital after lunch. If you have something serious you get a phone call by 3:00 pm to get back to the hospital for another test. If that proves positive, your in a big city hospital in time for supper. All the while our city friends are still stuck in the emergency department or are waiting 2 weeks to see their family Dr.
well, yeah, basically
But I don't know. I haven't called my family doctor yet, I don't even have one, that I know of. I know we have a few of them in a village of 2100...
Brenda @ Wed Nov 28, 2007 9:09 am
taxthis taxthis:
time waster
I luv you too
Heavy_Metal Heavy_Metal:
I think the real cause for shame should be the Canadian health care system...again.
the hospital should have been equiped to handle the emergency, Windsor isn't a small city, its hospitals should be able to look after its' citizens without having them have to go to the US for treatment.
I must say, it's a pretty sad statement to say that
Detroit has better medical care than a major Canadian city.
DerbyX @ Wed Nov 28, 2007 10:05 am
BartSimpson BartSimpson:
Heavy_Metal Heavy_Metal:
I think the real cause for shame should be the Canadian health care system...again.
the hospital should have been equiped to handle the emergency, Windsor isn't a small city, its hospitals should be able to look after its' citizens without having them have to go to the US for treatment.
I must say, it's a pretty sad statement to say that
Detroit has better medical care than a major Canadian city.

A single incident.
We could just as easily say its pretty sad that the first responders to some areas hit by Katrina were Canadian and that first response military aircraft during 9/11 were Canadian.
Its very likely that this person needed specialized treatment that smaller cities like Windsor don't have on tap but a major city like Detroit does.
Alot of Americans have made the trek to Canada to get flu vacinations due to shortages in the US.
Things like this happen.
DerbyX DerbyX:
BartSimpson BartSimpson:
Heavy_Metal Heavy_Metal:
I think the real cause for shame should be the Canadian health care system...again.
the hospital should have been equiped to handle the emergency, Windsor isn't a small city, its hospitals should be able to look after its' citizens without having them have to go to the US for treatment.
I must say, it's a pretty sad statement to say that
Detroit has better medical care than a major Canadian city.

A single incident.
We could just as easily say its pretty sad that the first responders to some areas hit by Katrina were Canadian and that first response military aircraft during 9/11 were Canadian.
And I'd agree with you.
DerbyX DerbyX:
Its very likely that this person needed specialized treatment that smaller cities like Windsor don't have on tap but a major city like Detroit does.
Alot of Americans have made the trek to Canada to get flu vacinations due to shortages in the US.
Things like this happen.
Uhm, no. They have a special deal worked out just so Canadians can get to the US hospitals on an ongoing basis. That sounds like there's a recognized deficiency with the Canadian hospitals that needs to be addressed every bit as much as the US needs to address its disaster relief procedures.
By the way, the assistance at Katrina is deeply appreciated and I'd like to take this opportunity to say

to the CF for their help, they saved a lot of lives.
DerbyX @ Wed Nov 28, 2007 10:28 am
$1:
Uhm, no. They have a special deal worked out just so Canadians can get to the US hospitals on an ongoing basis. That sounds like there's a recognized deficiency with the Canadian hospitals that needs to be addressed every bit as much as the US needs to address its disaster relief procedures.
Without particulars I can't accurately comment on the deal made. It is worthy to note that since the addition of the casinos the population growth has been greatly accelerated and its likely they made a deal like this out of necessity.
$1:
WINDSOR, Ont. -- An ambulance rushing a heart attack victim to Detroit from a Windsor hospital ill-equipped to perform life-saving surgery was stopped for secondary inspection Monday by U.S. Customs, despite the fact it carried a man fighting for his life.
Its very common for a hospital to send patients to another hospital because they lack specific resources. This isn't a question of inadequate medical care but of the reality of not maintaining round the clock coverage of something you may only get a few patients a month for.
Its cost effective. This seems like the case. Every hospital can't maitain a neurosurgeon on standby just in case they get a head trauma. Its a very effective cost cutting measure for groups of hospitals to form agreements where they divide up areas of responsibility to maintain coverage for with the agreement that each will treat all patients with that injury/affliction in conjunction.
Its also common for hospitals to simply know what they can't do and have ready plans to evacuate casualties to hospitals equiped to deal with things out of their hands.
In Kenora where I worked we had ready plans to air medavac to Winnipeg any trauma that our small hospital wasn't equiped to handle.
Its very common and the only reason this came to our attention is because something happened outside of the well established protocol that threatened a mans life.
I don't see this as a deficiency.
Quite frankly the cost associated with keeping medicare, education, the military, infrastructure, and of course low taxes, at a level pleasing even half the population greatly exceeds the capacity of the country.