National Health Systems

In Canada we do not have a National Health Care System, ours is in the hands of the Provincial governments and so is not exactly equal across the country. While this does lead to some minor annoyances, it is working not too badly for now. The system in Quebec is in fact split such that basic health care is included as well as some financial support for prescription drugs and diagnostic services in government funded hospitals or clinics. Problems arise because of delays for out-patient needs for services and waiting times for diagnostics and procedures considered to be less than life-threatening can be long and frustrating for patients. Emergency wards are generally packed solid, though this is partly due to people arriving who do not have a family doctor they can contact and see outside the hospital system. Public education on the system and how to use it seems to be lacking.
There is also a wide diversity in the funding for hospitals and clinics because private donations make up part of the funding for all of them. While all should continue to have the right to raise funds from the community, all patients must recognize that some will continue to be better funded than others. The government does need to recognise that there are occasional cases of errors that can be traced back to a lack of funds and take steps to correct those situations.
The problem is that a correction here and there is not going to do much toward fixing a system that is essentially cracked to the foundation.
We need a national system for health care. We have the technology now to establish, maintain and run such a system. We need to set up a patient database, accessable to any medical practitioner simply by swiping a patient's medical ID card. This would allow any hosptial, clinic or doctor's office full access to all the details of my medical history including the names and locations of any specialists I have had occasion to visit. Where and when it may be necessary, a specialist in Vancouver could contact and consult with another in Montreal over a specific issue concerning my health should the need arise during the 2010 Winter Olympics, as an example. That could lead to a five or ten minute discussion that might save my life. To top it all off, a quick and accurate diagnosis is also likely to save money. There can be no question that the right job done right is less costly than the wrong job done over wether we're talking about health care or plumbing.
I should also point out the this proposal does not remove authority over the system from the provincial to the federal. If anything it would be a federal service that runs under provincial authority and recognises the differences from one province to the other. Obviously it is everybody's interest to coordinate across the country with regard to services and medications covered by the plan and specific extra needs for the disabled and aged.
But why should we do this? Because by centralising and modernizing the system it becomes more efficient and less costly, not simply for the governments but also for the hospitals, clinics and even doctors in private practice. Better health for less money sounds like a win win to me!