In these times, Canada has encountered many issues regarding their health care. It is assumed that the Provincial and Federal government have the responsibility of providing solutions for improving the health care system. In the mid-1900s, Tommy Douglas declared universal health care for its citizens. Both public and private health care have their advantages and disadvantages but are considered to be a good system still when it comes to providing the needs of its citizens. The public health care offers health insurance coverage to Canadian citizens. These citizens are equipped with unrestricted access to hospitals, dental surgeries, and other health care services. Most of the Canadian citizens are starting to understand that maybe the idea of universal medical care might not be really what it is considered to be because some citizens still have to use their money to pay for some services. There are so many issues arising from the Canadian health care system which needs to be addressed (Armstrong, 2008). For instance, one of the major problems is the patient wait times. The Canadian government is advocating for the privatization of health care and permitting a two-tier health care system in the country. It undoubtedly has its advantages as it tends to reduce wait times for medical procedures and can also help to retain the medical practitioners in the country. It is, therefore, necessary to privatize the Canadian health care system because it tends to produce solutions to the problems affecting it.

The Canadian health care system should be privatized because it will provide a solution to the movement of highly skilled doctors and physicians to other developed countries like the United States. This popular trend among the health care physicians can be reversed due to the fact that a privately funded medical care system can revitalize health-related research hence effectively eradicate the movement of highly skilled doctors and physicians to other developed countries. Problems which arise from the Canadian health care system are as a result of the provincial and federal reductions in an effort of reducing the deficit (Armstrong, 2008). The Canadian government has contributed less financial services to the health care system hence leading to lack of hospital beds, hospital closure, reduction or cancellation of programs, restriction on the presence of new technologies, and lack of operating rooms as well. All these problems have contributed to the declining of the services provided by the medical practitioners to its patients. The government has also offered fewer funds to most of the talented Canadian scientists, hence cannot be in a position of conducting both basic and clinical research. It is right to say that most of these issues need to be addressed so as to retain them because most of them flee the health care system. The loss of every single medical staff tends to represent a loss of a significant investment by the Canadian government in a highly skilled and educated doctor who can make a contribution to the overall health and well-being of the Canadians in different communities. Privatization is the only method to solve monetary issues in its health care because it tends to open new financial streams in the system, so as to counter the effect of weakening funding (Canadian Health Care, 2007). A privatized health care system also ensures that all Canadian citizens are equally served. Salaries of the medical practitioners will also elevate, hence increasing the population of medical practitioners in Canada. Increased revenue through privatization also tends to provide more opportunities for medical research communities in Canada.

Canada’s health care system should move towards greater privatization because it will solve problems such as long wait times. Waiting lists are considered to be notorious and enormous because a majority of the Canadians have to wait for many months waiting for specialists when they want services such as radiation for breast cancer and elective surgery such as hip replacement among others. If the Canadian Health Minister Jane Philpott were to achieve her goal of shutting down the already privatized medical institutions, then it means that the Canadian patients and the amount of money they pay would be thrown back onto an already overstretched public health care system, hence lengthening wait-times (Financial Post, 2017). A Fraser Institute study of 2017 states the private charge of public queues for medically necessary care estimated that 973, 505 Canadians who were waiting to be treated lost approximately $1.7 billion in wages alone. The number is considered to be twice as high when the amount of time lost before seeing a medical specialist after referral from a general-practitioner was counted in. When taken together, the waiting times averaged to 20 weeks in 2016 (Financial Post, 2017). When the wait-times increases mean that the number of Canadians traveling abroad to seek immediate medical care also increases. Studies show that in 2016, a total of 63, 459 patients from Canada left to other countries for medical care. The Canadian physicians cannot treat patients effectively because they cannot get scanning services or operating-room time hence contributes to the long waiting hours. According to the Canadian Health Care (2007), wait times could be reduced in such a way that it will be easier for patients to obtain a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan much faster than those who tend to wait for long times to get the same service.  It is, therefore, necessary for the Canadian health care system to move towards greater privatization because it tends to reverse the flow of money into international hospitals and also will help to reduce the wait times.

Privatizing health care system in Canada is of much importance because taxing the profits from these health care providers tends to provide an extra source of revenue which could be channeled into Medicare to improve the system. In North America, Canadians are known to have the highest rates of taxation (Canadian Health Care, 2007). Therefore, having an additional tier tends to envision a secondary source of income by taxing every company which provides private health care. This means that when any profits from any private health care are taxed, then it is a guarantee that the government’s income will increase hence pumped back to the health care system.

In conclusion, privatization is considered to be a tool for improving health care. Current health care system in Canada requires serious attention from both the government and its citizens as well. Saying that these issues will fade away by themselves under the current system is considered to be outrageous. Alternative resolutions should be considered as well as addressed to Canadians before the problem worsens in the near future. It is of much importance for the government to do their best in staying ahead of these serious health issues. Privatization is linked to many benefits such as providing revenue for the government, retaining skilled medical personnel into the country as well as reducing cases of waiting for specialized treatments. Based on the presented evidence, it is right to say that the health care system in Canada should explore the option of moving towards greater privatization to ensure that its citizens stay healthy and strong well into the future.

References

Armstrong, Pat, and Hugh Armstrong. (2008) About Canada: Health Care. Toronto, ON: Fernwood Books Ltd, Print.

Canadian Health Care. (2007). Private clinics. Retrieved at: http://www.canadian-healthcare.org/page5.html

Financial Post. (2017). Embracing private health clinics would benefit Canadians and be boon for the economy.