The Rubbish of the WHO's ranking and Saskatchewan Health

The Rubbish of the WHO's
Ranking and Saskatchewan Health

Nipawin - June 26, 2000 - By: Mario deSantis

Canada has been ranked 30^th
Recently, everybody has been paying attention to the low ranking of Canada's health system by

the World Health Organization (WHO)⁽¹⁾. Canada has been ranked 30^th while France and Italy

have been ranked respectively 1^st and 2^nd. This abysmal ranking of the Canadian health system

has received the attention of our policy makers and health professionals. Dr. Hugh Scully,

president of the Canadian Medical Association, has stated "It's a wake up, folks,... we have to

pay close attention to this or we're going to be in trouble."

"report card"
In Ottawa, a spokesman for Health Canada said the federal government welcomed the WHO

analysis as exactly the kind of "report card" that Allan Rock, the federal Health Minister, has

been advocating for years⁽²⁾. Health Minister Pat Atkinson said that the WHO survey may also

prove the point that quality health care is not just about more money⁽³⁾.

lack of
common
sense
Again, I am smiling with sadness realizing again and again about the lack of common sense of

our leadership. The first responsibility is to clean up our home, yet we delegate this responsibility

to outside agencies, that is we have to look at our neighbours' homes to see if our home is clean

enough! This demented mentality of our leadership reminds me of the precarious situation of

our provincial universities and to the final realization that the University of Saskatchewan is

lagging behind just because it was ranked 14 out of 15 Canadian universities by a survey

conducted by Macleans's magazine⁽⁴⁾.

absence of sound accounting practices
Again, this demented mentality has been the major cause of our health care problem, here in

Saskatchewan, when for example the provincial health districts are ranked by Saskatchewan

Health in accordance to their utilization of their resources⁽⁵⁾, when this ranking is the motivating

factor for stimulating competition and streamline health care services across the province, when

this ranking occurs in the absence of sound accounting practices and market competition, and

when this ranking occurs at the time the health districts break the law by posting operating deficits!

research
game
We have been talking for sometime about the value of statistics, and how this government is

delegating its responsibilities to researchers. In Canada, we have been playing the black and

white research game between public and health care⁽⁶⁾⁽⁷⁾, now, in Saskatchewan, we have

Mr. Ken Fyke's year long and two million dollar review of medicare⁽⁸⁾. Statistics don't tell us

all the stories of our problems and challenges. In the absence of our own responsibility, there

will never be a statistical study which is going to provide a fix to our health care crisis. Our health

care crisis is not one man's problem, and it is not going to be solved by giving two million dollars

to fatten the expenditures of Mr. Ken Fyke. Dr. David Cassidy's studies on no-fault insurance

cost over a million dollars and it has proven that he is a cheater, that our University of

Saskatchewan is an accomplice cheater, that the Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI) is a

cheater, that our government is a cheater⁽⁹⁾!

best wines
in the
world
I tell you what some people have been saying about WHO's ranking of the health systems⁽¹⁰⁾,

that France and Italy have the best health systems for the simple reasons that their populations

have better eating habits⁽¹¹⁾ and they drink the best wines in the world⁽¹²⁾! I am sure that this

remark makes you laugh, and certainly you must laugh as you must laugh at all statistics provided

to us without any relevant story⁽¹³⁾. We must not be worried about Canada's report card by WHO.

What we must worry is about what is happening at home. In the last two weeks, we have received

the news that pathologists⁽¹⁴⁾ and pediatricians⁽¹⁵⁾ are leaving the province in bulks, that the

Health department is missing the deadline for approving the districts' budgets⁽¹⁶⁾, that some

health districts are penalized just for doing a better job than others⁽¹⁷⁾, that hospital beds are

being closed because of staffing shortages⁽¹⁸⁾.

ten years to wake up
Honourable Roy Romanow and Honourable Pat Atkinson, you don't have to look at Canada's

report card by the WHO to have a wake up call. You had ten years to wake up and instead you

chose to be cozy and covered up in the bedrooms of the province for all of these years⁽¹⁹⁾. Now,

I kindly tell you that your research games and your continuing lying are spilling out all over

the world and that it is time for you and your friends to move aside and take some fresh clean

air, for your health care and of course, for our own health care as well as for the Canadian and

Saskatchewan health care.

----------References & Endnotes:

We must break down Premier Roy Romanow's myth that the system is more worth than individual rights. The law and order mentality of our justice system for protecting the individual rights of Saskatchewan people can be summarized by Serge Kujawa's statement made back in 1991 "It doesn't matter if Milgaard is innocent... The whole judicial system is at issue-it's worth more than one person" Serge Kujawa is a former prosecutor and colleague of Premier Roy Romanow.

General reference: Articles by Mario deSantis published by Ensign

1.
-
Canada's health system ranks 30^th, by Marc Kennedy, The StarPhoenix, June 21, 2000, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

2.
-
Canada No. 30 on health: study. Behind Cyprus, Morocco: Report described as 'part science and part prognostication', Mark Kennedy, Ottawa Citizen, June 21, 2000 http://www.nationalpost.com/printer.asp?f=000621/323527

3.
-
Cash not cure-all for health care, Atkinson says, by Murray Mandryk, The StarPhoenix, June 22, 2000, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

4.
-
U of S ranks 14 out of 15: Why not being the best of yourself! By Mario deSantis, November 12, 1999

5.
-
-
-
The need for a management accounting system to address the current problems of accountability and performance in Saskatchewan Health Reform, by Mario deSantis, June 1995. A relevant excerpt of the paper "the utilization rates of resources and the related ranking of the districts do not provide valuable information to assist DHBs [District Health Boards] in redirecting their resources"

6.
-
A Partial Diagnosis of Health Care Corruption: The Quality Circle of the Big Brains Includes Our Renown Health Economists, by Mario deSantis, March 9, 2000

7.
-
Private sector has a role in health care, Madelaine Drohan, Globe and Mail, June 21 2000 http://www.globeandmail.com/gam/ROBColumns/20000621/RMADD.html

8.
-
The Commission on Medicare: Another expert, another vision, and another number, by Mario deSantis, June 14, 2000

9.
-
-
Refer to the detailed documentation of the No-Fault Insurance review by The Coalition Against No-Fault, Box 24007, 240 Albert Steet, Regina, Saskatchewan S4R 8R8, (306)546-4424, coalition@dlcwest.com http://www.angelfire.com/nf/coalitionagainstnf/

10.
-
WHO is losing ground to the plague of statistics, Brad Evenson, National Post, June 21, 2000 http://www.nationalpost.com/printer.asp?f=000621/323580

11.
-
The health of nations, Economist, June 24-30 2000. Observation by Julian Le Grand of the London School of Economics.

12.
-
This observation that France and Italy have the best health systems was made by my son Eric as I talked to him about the WHO's ranking of health systems (Saskatoon: June 25, 2000)

13.
The misuse of Statistics as a scientific tool, by Mario deSantis, January 18, 2000

14.
-
Pathology in critical condition: doctor. Resignations further burden system, West says, by Jason Warick, The StarPhoenix, June 10, 2000, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

15.
-
Prognosis grim for pediatrics. Long shifts driving more specialists out of province, by Jason Warick, The StarPhoenix, June 19, 2000, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

16.
-
Health dept. misses deadline on district deficit plan, by Murray Mandryk, The StarPhoenix, June 22, 2000, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

17.
-
Prince Albert health district half a million in the red, CBC Saskatchewan http://sask.cbc.ca/ Web Posted | Jun 22 2000 7:50 PM EDT

18.
-
Climax health centre closed on weekends, CBC Saskatchewan http://sask.cbc.ca/ Web Posted | Jun 23 2000 6:47 PM EDT

19.
-
Government Mistrust in Saskatchewan: The Continuous Saga, by Mario deSantis and reviewed by James deSantis, June 4, 2000

The Rubbish of the WHO's Ranking and Saskatchewan Health

Nipawin - June 26, 2000 - By: Mario deSantis

Canada has been ranked 30^th	Recently, everybody has been paying attention to the low ranking of Canada's health system by
	the World Health Organization (WHO)⁽¹⁾. Canada has been ranked 30^th while France and Italy
	have been ranked respectively 1^st and 2^nd. This abysmal ranking of the Canadian health system
	has received the attention of our policy makers and health professionals. Dr. Hugh Scully,
	president of the Canadian Medical Association, has stated "It's a wake up, folks,... we have to
	pay close attention to this or we're going to be in trouble."

"report card"	In Ottawa, a spokesman for Health Canada said the federal government welcomed the WHO
	analysis as exactly the kind of "report card" that Allan Rock, the federal Health Minister, has
	been advocating for years⁽²⁾. Health Minister Pat Atkinson said that the WHO survey may also
	prove the point that quality health care is not just about more money⁽³⁾.

lack of common sense	Again, I am smiling with sadness realizing again and again about the lack of common sense of
	our leadership. The first responsibility is to clean up our home, yet we delegate this responsibility
	to outside agencies, that is we have to look at our neighbours' homes to see if our home is clean
	enough! This demented mentality of our leadership reminds me of the precarious situation of
	our provincial universities and to the final realization that the University of Saskatchewan is
	lagging behind just because it was ranked 14 out of 15 Canadian universities by a survey
	conducted by Macleans's magazine⁽⁴⁾.


absence of sound accounting practices	Again, this demented mentality has been the major cause of our health care problem, here in
	Saskatchewan, when for example the provincial health districts are ranked by Saskatchewan
	Health in accordance to their utilization of their resources⁽⁵⁾, when this ranking is the motivating
	factor for stimulating competition and streamline health care services across the province, when
	this ranking occurs in the absence of sound accounting practices and market competition, and
	when this ranking occurs at the time the health districts break the law by posting operating deficits!

research game	We have been talking for sometime about the value of statistics, and how this government is
	delegating its responsibilities to researchers. In Canada, we have been playing the black and
	white research game between public and health care⁽⁶⁾⁽⁷⁾, now, in Saskatchewan, we have
	Mr. Ken Fyke's year long and two million dollar review of medicare⁽⁸⁾. Statistics don't tell us
	all the stories of our problems and challenges. In the absence of our own responsibility, there
	will never be a statistical study which is going to provide a fix to our health care crisis. Our health
	care crisis is not one man's problem, and it is not going to be solved by giving two million dollars
	to fatten the expenditures of Mr. Ken Fyke. Dr. David Cassidy's studies on no-fault insurance
	cost over a million dollars and it has proven that he is a cheater, that our University of
	Saskatchewan is an accomplice cheater, that the Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI) is a
	cheater, that our government is a cheater⁽⁹⁾!

best wines in the world	I tell you what some people have been saying about WHO's ranking of the health systems⁽¹⁰⁾,
	that France and Italy have the best health systems for the simple reasons that their populations
	have better eating habits⁽¹¹⁾ and they drink the best wines in the world⁽¹²⁾! I am sure that this
	remark makes you laugh, and certainly you must laugh as you must laugh at all statistics provided
	to us without any relevant story⁽¹³⁾. We must not be worried about Canada's report card by WHO.
	What we must worry is about what is happening at home. In the last two weeks, we have received
	the news that pathologists⁽¹⁴⁾ and pediatricians⁽¹⁵⁾ are leaving the province in bulks, that the
	Health department is missing the deadline for approving the districts' budgets⁽¹⁶⁾, that some
	health districts are penalized just for doing a better job than others⁽¹⁷⁾, that hospital beds are
	being closed because of staffing shortages⁽¹⁸⁾.

ten years to wake up	Honourable Roy Romanow and Honourable Pat Atkinson, you don't have to look at Canada's
	report card by the WHO to have a wake up call. You had ten years to wake up and instead you
	chose to be cozy and covered up in the bedrooms of the province for all of these years⁽¹⁹⁾. Now,
	I kindly tell you that your research games and your continuing lying are spilling out all over
	the world and that it is time for you and your friends to move aside and take some fresh clean
	air, for your health care and of course, for our own health care as well as for the Canadian and
	Saskatchewan health care.

----------References & Endnotes:
	We must break down Premier Roy Romanow's myth that the system is more worth than individual rights. The law and order mentality of our justice system for protecting the individual rights of Saskatchewan people can be summarized by Serge Kujawa's statement made back in 1991 "It doesn't matter if Milgaard is innocent... The whole judicial system is at issue-it's worth more than one person" Serge Kujawa is a former prosecutor and colleague of Premier Roy Romanow.

	General reference: Articles by Mario deSantis published by Ensign

1. -	Canada's health system ranks 30^th, by Marc Kennedy, The StarPhoenix, June 21, 2000, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
2. -	Canada No. 30 on health: study. Behind Cyprus, Morocco: Report described as 'part science and part prognostication', Mark Kennedy, Ottawa Citizen, June 21, 2000 http://www.nationalpost.com/printer.asp?f=000621/323527
3. -	Cash not cure-all for health care, Atkinson says, by Murray Mandryk, The StarPhoenix, June 22, 2000, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
4. -	U of S ranks 14 out of 15: Why not being the best of yourself! By Mario deSantis, November 12, 1999
5. - - -	The need for a management accounting system to address the current problems of accountability and performance in Saskatchewan Health Reform, by Mario deSantis, June 1995. A relevant excerpt of the paper "the utilization rates of resources and the related ranking of the districts do not provide valuable information to assist DHBs [District Health Boards] in redirecting their resources"
6. -	A Partial Diagnosis of Health Care Corruption: The Quality Circle of the Big Brains Includes Our Renown Health Economists, by Mario deSantis, March 9, 2000
7. -	Private sector has a role in health care, Madelaine Drohan, Globe and Mail, June 21 2000 http://www.globeandmail.com/gam/ROBColumns/20000621/RMADD.html
8. -	The Commission on Medicare: Another expert, another vision, and another number, by Mario deSantis, June 14, 2000
9. - -	Refer to the detailed documentation of the No-Fault Insurance review by The Coalition Against No-Fault, Box 24007, 240 Albert Steet, Regina, Saskatchewan S4R 8R8, (306)546-4424, coalition@dlcwest.com http://www.angelfire.com/nf/coalitionagainstnf/
10. -	WHO is losing ground to the plague of statistics, Brad Evenson, National Post, June 21, 2000 http://www.nationalpost.com/printer.asp?f=000621/323580
11. -	The health of nations, Economist, June 24-30 2000. Observation by Julian Le Grand of the London School of Economics.
12. -	This observation that France and Italy have the best health systems was made by my son Eric as I talked to him about the WHO's ranking of health systems (Saskatoon: June 25, 2000)
13.	The misuse of Statistics as a scientific tool, by Mario deSantis, January 18, 2000
14. -	Pathology in critical condition: doctor. Resignations further burden system, West says, by Jason Warick, The StarPhoenix, June 10, 2000, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
15. -	Prognosis grim for pediatrics. Long shifts driving more specialists out of province, by Jason Warick, The StarPhoenix, June 19, 2000, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
16. -	Health dept. misses deadline on district deficit plan, by Murray Mandryk, The StarPhoenix, June 22, 2000, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
17. -	Prince Albert health district half a million in the red, CBC Saskatchewan http://sask.cbc.ca/ Web Posted \| Jun 22 2000 7:50 PM EDT
18. -	Climax health centre closed on weekends, CBC Saskatchewan http://sask.cbc.ca/ Web Posted \| Jun 23 2000 6:47 PM EDT
19. -	Government Mistrust in Saskatchewan: The Continuous Saga, by Mario deSantis and reviewed by James deSantis, June 4, 2000