Saskatchewan Health Care: Confirmation Of The Most Mismanaged System In Canada

Saskatchewan Health Care:
Confirmation Of The Most Mismanaged System In Canada

Nipawin - October 14, 2000 - by:mario deSantis

mismanagement
Our health care providers have been saying all along that the problems in health care is

underfunding. And I have been saying all along that one major problem in health care is

mismanagement. We have the health districts and the Saskatchewan government breaking

the law, and as a consequence our health care system resembles a gambling casino⁽¹⁾.

Neil
Gardner
Today I visited the web site of the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) and

I find that Neil Gardner⁽²⁾ is a board member of the institute and that he has led the

working group for Health Informatics/Telematics that provided recommendations on

health information standards for client-centred health records. No wonder that the

information technology implementations in health care have been disastrous all across

Canada and that hundreds of millions of dollars have been spent in obsolete technologies.

Technology
flop
We recall that Neil Gardner⁽³⁾ along with Brian Rourke⁽⁴⁾ and others have been

responsible for the biggest and secretive Information Technology flop ever undertaken

in Saskatchewan: the Saskatchewan Health Information Network (SHIN)⁽⁵⁾.

four neurosurgeons have resigned
Today we have the news that two of Saskatoon's four neurosurgeons have resigned and

that the other two will likely quit soon⁽⁶⁾. We also understand that by the end of the year

Saskatoon may lose as many as five anesthetists⁽⁷⁾.

defective
health care system
Martin Zelder, director of health policy research at the Fraser Institute, has recognized

the gross mismanagement in health care and has specifically targeted Saskatchewan as

an example of a defective health care system by stating

"Look at Saskatchewan... that province had the second-highest government health spending per person in 1999 and the longest total waiting time of all the provinces⁽⁸⁾."

Pat Atkinson
This evening (October 12) I have been watching the local CTV News and when Minister

of Health Pat Atkinson was questioned about the departure of our medical specialists.

from Saskatoon and about the fact that Saskatchewan has the longest waiting time of

any other province, she discounted these concerns and replied that the departures of

the medical specialists is due to 'personality conflicts' which are not conducive to a

'positive environment' and that the waiting times reported by the Fraser Institute are

erroneous.

deadly
wrong
Pat Atkinson is deadly wrong, and I find absurd to have a government which deliberately

skews information⁽⁹⁾, which systemically deceives people⁽¹⁰⁾, and which continues to

place good psychology above the interest of serving the people

------------References/Endnotes:

List of articles by Mario deSantis http://www.ftlcomm.com/ensign/authors/desantisNG.html

1.
-
Pat Atkinson: raising the finger and turning healthcare to a gambling casino, by Mario deSantis, February 3, 2000

2.
-
-
Neil Gardner is Executive Director, Corporate Information and Technology Branch, at Saskatchewan Health, Government of Saskatchewan http://www.cihi.ca/weare/bios.htm#Neil Gardner

3.
-
Associate Minister of Health Judy Junor: defending the SHIN flop at the Legislature, by Mario deSantis, April 13, 2000

4.
-
Brian Rourke wants more healthcare money: 40% of public expenditures are not enough, by Mario deSantis, November 14, 1999

5.
-
The problem with health care: 'Health-care Gorbachev' and the Tin Pot dictators, by Mario deSantis, June 16, 2000

6.
-
Neurosurgery nightmare: Resignations put program on verge of collapse, by Jason Warick, The StarPhoenix, October 12, 2000, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

7.
-
Saskatoon braces to lose anesthetists, CBC Saskatchewan, http://sask.cbc.ca Web Posted | Oct 12 2000 12:35 PM EDT

8.
-
Fraser Institute says hospital waiting times longer, Canada News Wire, Vancouver, October 12, 2000 http://www.newswire.ca/releases/October2000/12/c2075.html

9.
-
Premier Romanow's Government: Skewing Information and Keeping From Learning, by Mario deSantis, July 18, 2000

10.
-
Premier Roy Romanow and Minister of Finance Eric Cline: Cheating the Electorate by Fragmenting Government's Accountability, by Mario deSantis, October 12, 2000

Saskatchewan Health Care: Confirmation Of The Most Mismanaged System In Canada

Nipawin - October 14, 2000 - by:mario deSantis

mismanagement	Our health care providers have been saying all along that the problems in health care is
	underfunding. And I have been saying all along that one major problem in health care is
	mismanagement. We have the health districts and the Saskatchewan government breaking
	the law, and as a consequence our health care system resembles a gambling casino⁽¹⁾.

Neil Gardner	Today I visited the web site of the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) and
	I find that Neil Gardner⁽²⁾ is a board member of the institute and that he has led the
	working group for Health Informatics/Telematics that provided recommendations on
	health information standards for client-centred health records. No wonder that the
	information technology implementations in health care have been disastrous all across
	Canada and that hundreds of millions of dollars have been spent in obsolete technologies.

Technology flop	We recall that Neil Gardner⁽³⁾ along with Brian Rourke⁽⁴⁾ and others have been
	responsible for the biggest and secretive Information Technology flop ever undertaken
	in Saskatchewan: the Saskatchewan Health Information Network (SHIN)⁽⁵⁾.

four neurosurgeons have resigned	Today we have the news that two of Saskatoon's four neurosurgeons have resigned and
	that the other two will likely quit soon⁽⁶⁾. We also understand that by the end of the year
	Saskatoon may lose as many as five anesthetists⁽⁷⁾.

defective health care system	Martin Zelder, director of health policy research at the Fraser Institute, has recognized
	the gross mismanagement in health care and has specifically targeted Saskatchewan as
	an example of a defective health care system by stating
	"Look at Saskatchewan... that province had the second-highest government health spending per person in 1999 and the longest total waiting time of all the provinces⁽⁸⁾."

Pat Atkinson	This evening (October 12) I have been watching the local CTV News and when Minister
	of Health Pat Atkinson was questioned about the departure of our medical specialists.
	from Saskatoon and about the fact that Saskatchewan has the longest waiting time of
	any other province, she discounted these concerns and replied that the departures of
	the medical specialists is due to 'personality conflicts' which are not conducive to a
	'positive environment' and that the waiting times reported by the Fraser Institute are
	erroneous.

deadly wrong	Pat Atkinson is deadly wrong, and I find absurd to have a government which deliberately
	skews information⁽⁹⁾, which systemically deceives people⁽¹⁰⁾, and which continues to
	place good psychology above the interest of serving the people

------------References/Endnotes:

	List of articles by Mario deSantis http://www.ftlcomm.com/ensign/authors/desantisNG.html

1. -	Pat Atkinson: raising the finger and turning healthcare to a gambling casino, by Mario deSantis, February 3, 2000

2. - -	Neil Gardner is Executive Director, Corporate Information and Technology Branch, at Saskatchewan Health, Government of Saskatchewan http://www.cihi.ca/weare/bios.htm#Neil Gardner

3. -	Associate Minister of Health Judy Junor: defending the SHIN flop at the Legislature, by Mario deSantis, April 13, 2000

4. -	Brian Rourke wants more healthcare money: 40% of public expenditures are not enough, by Mario deSantis, November 14, 1999

5. -	The problem with health care: 'Health-care Gorbachev' and the Tin Pot dictators, by Mario deSantis, June 16, 2000

6. -	Neurosurgery nightmare: Resignations put program on verge of collapse, by Jason Warick, The StarPhoenix, October 12, 2000, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

7. -	Saskatoon braces to lose anesthetists, CBC Saskatchewan, http://sask.cbc.ca Web Posted \| Oct 12 2000 12:35 PM EDT

8. -	Fraser Institute says hospital waiting times longer, Canada News Wire, Vancouver, October 12, 2000 http://www.newswire.ca/releases/October2000/12/c2075.html

9. -	Premier Romanow's Government: Skewing Information and Keeping From Learning, by Mario deSantis, July 18, 2000

10. -	Premier Roy Romanow and Minister of Finance Eric Cline: Cheating the Electorate by Fragmenting Government's Accountability, by Mario deSantis, October 12, 2000