Medical Emergency Transport
My friend, David, had another drop in his sugar which required calling for an ambulance to take him to the hospital, This is the third time we have had to do this. I find it all very stressful, knowing little about the care of diabetics. June seems to know what she is doing. I
hope!
We live about 26 miles from the closest "hospital" in Sturgeon Falls. The full service hospitals are 50 to 60 miles away in North Bay and Sudbury.
I am impressed with the response to our call to the emergency number 911. Within a half hour we had the First Responders here (a volunteer group from the next town), an ambulance from Sturgeon Falls and the Air Ambulance from Sudbury.
There may be a modest charge for transport, or no charge at all depending on your ability to pay. When I was taken by ambulance to Sturgeon Falls I was charged $45, which was waived by the hospital. The cost of the doctors and hospital are fully covered by the government health plan.
All praise to Tommy Douglas, the Babtist minister, who founded the New Democratic Party and first introduced socialized medicine in Saskatewan years ago and then inspired the National Universal Health Plan. CBC.ca - The Greatest Canadian - Top Ten Greatest Canadians - Tommy Douglas Religiously, he was rooted in what is know as the social gospel movement. He was a populist out of western Canada and a political socialist. He was recently voted as the Greatest Canadian. He so deserves it for his efforts did much to shape our vision of Canada as a humaine nation where people care for each other through social programs. This requires a view of government that is that it exists to serve the people in as broad a way as possible.
Universal Health Care is Canada's most revered social program and, ironically the one we most often complain about while those in other countries admire it. We know it can be even better.
Even our Conservative government, who ideologically would like to privatize this program on an American model, know it would be political suicide to do so. So they along with private interests in the US put pressure on the system to turn it into a two tier system with may privately run elements. The strength of our program is that it is universal with all people being given the best service available without consideration for ability to pay. Good health care must be protected as a right to the privilege of the wealthy.
As a result, a humble 84 year old man, who has worked at hard manual work all his life and raising 10 children, can with dignity depend on good service, even if he lives out in the boondocks.
These are the First Responders vehicle and the ambulance.
This is the air ambulance landing in front of our house.
Just yesterday Dave was outside sitting at the end of the ramp I built for him. He wanted to help a little so he shoveled about a 1/2 dozen shovel fulls of trash into the wheel barrow. I sat with him and we had a lovely chat. I hope he will be back shortly once the doctors get his sugar level right.
posted by Tossing Pebbles in the Stream @ 4:21 p.m.
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3 Comments:
I hope Dave is doing lots better and will be home soon. He seems to be happy on your farm. Thanks for all the encouragement you gave me while diva was pregnant. I am so happy its all behind us and she and the boys are doing really well. I am still trying to catch up on my sleep and all the other things I let go. Everything looks so green at your place!
It's a good reminder to count our blessings.
Yes, count your blessings, and don't EVER get rid of your health plan. My dh and I have to pay $800 every couple of months for our plan. We do have the best and it covers nearly everything, but those U.S. dollars are hard to come by at premium time! I have to go see Diva's babies now.
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