Tag Archives: ontario

Our Medical System’s in Need of a Check-Up

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By Jason Menard

At least now people should be able to see the problems that lie ahead with our medical system. Ironically, it took the delisting of regular eye exams to open people’s eyes to what’s going on with our province’s medical plans. Oh well, better late than never.

Pun fully intended, the Liberal Party’s party’s platform of delisting various medical services is short-sighted, and leads out down the road to where our future generation may enjoy an even poorer quality of life than the one we now enjoy.

Worst of all, these deregulations directly impact those who may need these services the most, but can least afford it. While some of us have extended benefits plans which can make up for the shortfall, others are not so lucky. As well, these plans are getting more and more extended each day. Premiums stand to rise, ancillary fees will start to be levied, and fewer things will be covered – leaving the taxpayer with the added burden of finding funds to cover services.

But, more likely, people won’t pay – and they won’t go.

An investment in health is an investment in our future. By delisting eye exams the Provincial government is creating a scenario wherein those who must choose between food and eye care will understandably choose the former. Human nature is that people will put their money elsewhere other than spending on an eye exam. But what are the long-term costs? How many early cases of glaucoma or cataracts will go unchecked? How much more of a burden on the health care system will that be when costlier reactive medicine becomes the norm and proactive care is slowly phased out?

Chiropractic and physiotherapy care are to be delisted in the near future. I ask what’s next? I ask, how are people expected to move forward in life, when their expenses may outpace their income? How are Ontarians to become more valued members of this province? How are they to buy a house, contribute to our local economy, and fill the province’s coffers with tax dollars when all their energy is spent treading water, simply trying to make do — instead of getting ahead?

There are those who swear by chiropractic care – its treatment allowing people to stay off costly pain killers or other pharmaceuticals. But with delisting, will those who choose not to go due to the added financial burden not see their productivity drop at work? Will that not choke the economy? Will that not stifle growth? Will that not send more people to the hospital, using up those valuable — and underfunded — resources?

And what of the others who need physiotherapy to carve out a meagre level of enjoyment and mobility from their lives? They tend to be the ones who need these services the most, but can least afford it.

Where does this stop? When do the Liberal values of social responsibility stop being overwhelmed by the neo-Conservative mantra of fiscal obsession? I am a proud Canadian. However, of late, I worry that my beloved Maple Leaf is being strangled by the Red-White-and-Blue mentality. If access to universal health care is truly a Canadian ideal, should we not put a premium on its care – rather than charging a premium for essential services?

When will governments see that an initial investment in proactive, preventative medicine will end up costing far less than simply being reactionary. Wasn’t that what mom always said? Tackling a problem when it starts prevents it from becoming bigger and unmanageable?

Many rejoiced when the Provincial Liberals replaced the Eves’ Conservative, yet now we are left to wonder if we really bought a new lease on life or are simply mortgaging our future using the opposite side of the same coin? Has Liberal Red turned Conservative Blue?

We as citizens have a responsibility to our friends, family, and neighbours to make our voices heard. Inaction on our part is tantamount to tacit approval of the government’s practices. However, making our voices heard is the key. To speak without action is as worthless as an unfulfilled campaign promise, and the only currency we hold is at the ballot box.

If you are concerned about the future of your health services, don’t wait until after the fact to speak up! Call your MPP, send them an e-mail (click here to find out where they are), or write them a letter.

And when you do let them know that next election you hope your ballot will be cast in appreciation for a Party that has rediscovered its roots, and not against an organization that has lost its focus, choosing the Right way and not the right way.

Delisted eye exams or no, even our politicians will see the light if we shine it bright enough!

2005 © Menard Communications – Jason Menard All Rights Reserved

What You Can See in the Dark

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By Jason Menard

It is at times such as Thursday night’s blackout that the best and worst of human nature is revealed. And it’s doubly important that once life gets back to normal, that same human nature is rewarded appropriately.

I was one of the lucky ones who lived through the Quebec Ice Storm with minimal interruption to my life. Living in Montreal at the time, our house was in one of the few sectors that did not lose power. As my downtown office was without any power for the better part of the week, I was able to stay at home and watch the situation unfold.

Like most of you would do, we opened our homes to friends who were less fortunate, eventually fitting five adults, one child, a handful of irritating birds, fish, a chinchilla, and a massive dog into a modest two-bedroom apartment.

We watched the surreal images of the city around us unfold on the television, so far removed from our own reality. We kept in contact with family members – some of whom did not regain power for a month. And we watched with disgust the actions of a select few.

At a time when people are supposed to come together and lend a hand to those in need, we saw stores raising the price of everyday products. Batteries were sold at $5 each, prices for staples like milk and toilet paper went through the roof, and bottled water was sold at a premium. At a time when countless thousands of people from across Canada were feverishly working to send generators and other supplies to Quebec, the people of our own province were gouging those in the most need.

So we turn to London and its surrounding area. From the darkness that enveloped our region emerged the true nature of many of its inhabitants. While the majority of people did go out of their way to lend a hand, there were a select few who chose to take this opportunity to turn a profit at the expense of others.

Watching the local news we were treated to a regional gas station owner – who shall remain nameless at this time, but really shouldn’t be offered that courtesy — who gleefully explained that he was able to raise his prices up to almost 86 cents a litre, due to the need of running a generator, employing extra staff, and making a little extra profit.

Now, I appreciate the supply and demand nature of our capitalist society, and I don’t begrudge people making money where circumstances warrant. But one of the few things that separates us from machines is compassion – the ability to put aside our natural instinct to do more, make more, earn more in the hopes of helping our fellow citizens during extreme situations.

Reports from across the affected area came in with similar stories of price gouging. It is at this point where it becomes our responsibility to ensure that the economic karma is returned in full force.

One of the interesting things that came out of the Ice Storm was the fact that all those establishments that had engaged in price gouging were eventually held up for public scrutiny. Their names, after the price-fixing had been validated, were published in various local newspapers. Through word of mouth, those who had profited most from the despair of others during the Ice Storm, lost the most after the crisis had past.

I’m not saying we, as a community, need to engage in an economic witch hunt, storming the doors of unscrupulous businesses like a vigilante mob. But rather, we should take this opportunity to reflect upon our spending patterns. Look around and see who had the option to gouge you – and didn’t. Talk to friends and acquaintances and see which businesses went out of their way to actively help those in need during the blackout.

Then it comes the time for economic karma to kick in. Patronize those establishments. Let them know that the reason you’re shopping there is in appreciation of their efforts during the blackout. Let them know that you’re grateful for the fact that there were there in the bad times, and that you’ll be there for them in the good times.

Voice your disapproval to those who looked to make a fast buck at the expense of others. Explain that you’re not patronizing their establishment because of their lack of human kindness. Maybe then they’ll understand that the lure of easy money off the backs of those in need is not worth the long-term ill will it creates.

In a society where the price often determines our loyalty, perhaps its long past due that service and value are at a premium. Maybe out of the blackness of this outage, nice guys don’t have to finish last.

2005 © Menard Communications – Jason Menard All Rights Reserved