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| Photo from medicaltourismmag.com |
Canadians can thank, for one, Tommy Douglas for pioneering the publicly-funded health care system we enjoy today. While it is easy to take for granted, particularly having been born here, you need do nothing more than talk to new Canadians to realize what a privilege it is.
The system isn’t perfect, but having publicly-funded
health care does much more than just heal us when we are sick. It provides
critical peace of mind. Canadians know that, should we encounter illness or
injury, a system is there to catch us. Not only do we know we will have quality
care, but we know we will not have to make difficult choices to get it. We will
not have to choose between our health and something else, like amenities for
our families, or, in the worst case, food or shelter. This provides financial
security, but also physiological protection from the fear that comes from the
prospect of having to make those decisions.
Yes, we pay higher taxes to support the system, and for many
years, thankfully, most will not have to access the system for much more than
check-ups and minors health issues; but it is utterly Canadian to support a
system that supports others in their time of need, as it will support us when
and if we need it.
I fear the day when politics in Canada become focused so
much on the individual that the foundations of our health care system are
questioned. We need not look far to see the individualized, self-centred
approach to politics infecting other countries, and I truly hope the Canadian
way remains as it is.
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