The Mismanagement Saga in Health Care

The Mismanagement Saga in Health Care

Nipawin - October 22, 2000 - by: Mario deSantis

the system
is reforming itself
Finally there is convergence of opinion about health care and I am pleased to recognize that

The StarPhoenix along with many researchers across Canada come aboard with our ancient

and reiterating opinion that our health care system is mismanaged. In the Health system

bows to market⁽¹⁾ we find the nightmare we are presently undergoing: the departure of

neurosurgeons, of anesthesiologists, of pediatricians and other medical specialists. And to

summarize our Saskatchewan's scenario, the authors of this article state that while commissioner

Ken Fyke is busy asking ordinary residents on how to reform the system, the system is

reforming itself in response to economic market forces. Also, these authors state that we

need new leaders who can prescribe strong medicine rather than "push more placebos in

the form of poorly designed health districts or meaningless studies."

leadership
and structural nature
Commissioner Ken Fyke has not understood yet that the health care problems are of a

leadership and structural nature and has creatively stated "We can pay for the service

by raising taxes through the public sector, we can bring additional revenue in through

premiums, or... user fees⁽²⁾ ." In the meantime the commissioner will be sending 400,000

surveys to Saskatchewan homes, as well as holding TV forums, maintaining a web site, and

setting up a 1-800 number⁽³⁾ . Just to have an indication of one direct cost of this study

we can multiply the 400,000 surveys by the nominal unit cost of $1 per survey and we

have a cost of $400,000. And I am not sure if these $400,000 are part of Ken Fyke's

$2 million budget.

waiting
times have increased
Dr. John Horne, a Winnipeg health economist and advisor to the Canadian Institute for

Health Information, has said "We know we have too few nurses coast to coast. We have

too few physicians, particularly specialty physicians. We have too few pharmacists, too

few lab technologists, too few ultrasound techs and respiratory techs. There's an emerging

shortage of health care workers⁽⁴⁾." In the last three years health care spending has increased

by 22% yet our surgical waiting times have increased, and they are still increasing in

Saskatchewan⁽⁵⁾.

capital equipment funding
According to the Canadian Institute for Health Information most of the new spending

has been used on capital projects. Dr. Brent Burbridge, head of medical imaging for the

College of Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan, said there is a "gross deficit"

of capital equipment funding in many provinces. "Things are desperate. I don't believe

we are providing state of the art care here, I can tell you that. And that's because we don't

have the most current equipment⁽⁶⁾."

misuse of
health
resources
In the last years we have experienced the downsizing of our health facilities, and as a

consequence a sizeable portion of the above mentioned 22% increase in health care

spending has been allocated for the implementation of obsolete Information Technology

systems. And in Saskatchewan this system is called the Saskatchewan Health Information

System (SHIN), a system which has pumped approximately $40 million into the sewage⁽⁷⁾,

not to speak about the lateral and consequential misuse of health resources.

saga of
health care
The saga of health care mismanagement is continuing and we will be ready to tell you

additional stories.

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

1.
-
Health system bows to market, OPINIONS, October 13, 2000, The StarPhoenix, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

2.
-
First report outlines health care challenges, CBC Saskatchewan, http://sask.cbc.ca Web Posted | Oct 6 2000 9:35 PM EDT

3.
-
First report outlines health care challenges, CBC Saskatchewan, http://sask.cbc.ca Web Posted | Oct 6 2000 9:35 PM EDT

4.
$64-billion insufficient to stop bleeding, Brad Evenson, National Post, October 12, 2000

5.
-
-
Surgical waiting game continues: Former task force members lament slow progress in shortening province's waiting lists, by Murray Mandryk, The StarPhoenix, October 14, 2000, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

6.
-
X-Ray Labs dangerously outdated. Radiologists sound alarm: Equipment so archaic that even Cambodian refugee camp doesn't want it, Tom Arnold, National Post, October 12, 2000

7.
-
Saskatchewan Health Care: Confirmation Of The Most Mismanaged System In Canada, by Mario deSantis, October 12, 2000

The Mismanagement Saga in Health Care

Nipawin - October 22, 2000 - by: Mario deSantis

the system is reforming itself	Finally there is convergence of opinion about health care and I am pleased to recognize that
	The StarPhoenix along with many researchers across Canada come aboard with our ancient
	and reiterating opinion that our health care system is mismanaged. In the Health system
	bows to market⁽¹⁾ we find the nightmare we are presently undergoing: the departure of
	neurosurgeons, of anesthesiologists, of pediatricians and other medical specialists. And to
	summarize our Saskatchewan's scenario, the authors of this article state that while commissioner
	Ken Fyke is busy asking ordinary residents on how to reform the system, the system is
	reforming itself in response to economic market forces. Also, these authors state that we
	need new leaders who can prescribe strong medicine rather than "push more placebos in
	the form of poorly designed health districts or meaningless studies."

leadership and structural nature	Commissioner Ken Fyke has not understood yet that the health care problems are of a
	leadership and structural nature and has creatively stated "We can pay for the service
	by raising taxes through the public sector, we can bring additional revenue in through
	premiums, or... user fees⁽²⁾ ." In the meantime the commissioner will be sending 400,000
	surveys to Saskatchewan homes, as well as holding TV forums, maintaining a web site, and
	setting up a 1-800 number⁽³⁾ . Just to have an indication of one direct cost of this study
	we can multiply the 400,000 surveys by the nominal unit cost of $1 per survey and we
	have a cost of $400,000. And I am not sure if these $400,000 are part of Ken Fyke's
	$2 million budget.

waiting times have increased	Dr. John Horne, a Winnipeg health economist and advisor to the Canadian Institute for
	Health Information, has said "We know we have too few nurses coast to coast. We have
	too few physicians, particularly specialty physicians. We have too few pharmacists, too
	few lab technologists, too few ultrasound techs and respiratory techs. There's an emerging
	shortage of health care workers⁽⁴⁾." In the last three years health care spending has increased
	by 22% yet our surgical waiting times have increased, and they are still increasing in
	Saskatchewan⁽⁵⁾.

capital equipment funding	According to the Canadian Institute for Health Information most of the new spending
	has been used on capital projects. Dr. Brent Burbridge, head of medical imaging for the
	College of Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan, said there is a "gross deficit"
	of capital equipment funding in many provinces. "Things are desperate. I don't believe
	we are providing state of the art care here, I can tell you that. And that's because we don't
	have the most current equipment⁽⁶⁾."

misuse of health resources	In the last years we have experienced the downsizing of our health facilities, and as a
	consequence a sizeable portion of the above mentioned 22% increase in health care
	spending has been allocated for the implementation of obsolete Information Technology
	systems. And in Saskatchewan this system is called the Saskatchewan Health Information
	System (SHIN), a system which has pumped approximately $40 million into the sewage⁽⁷⁾,
	not to speak about the lateral and consequential misuse of health resources.

saga of health care	The saga of health care mismanagement is continuing and we will be ready to tell you
saga of health care	additional stories.

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

1. -	Health system bows to market, OPINIONS, October 13, 2000, The StarPhoenix, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

2. -	First report outlines health care challenges, CBC Saskatchewan, http://sask.cbc.ca Web Posted \| Oct 6 2000 9:35 PM EDT

3. -	First report outlines health care challenges, CBC Saskatchewan, http://sask.cbc.ca Web Posted \| Oct 6 2000 9:35 PM EDT

4.	$64-billion insufficient to stop bleeding, Brad Evenson, National Post, October 12, 2000

5. - -	Surgical waiting game continues: Former task force members lament slow progress in shortening province's waiting lists, by Murray Mandryk, The StarPhoenix, October 14, 2000, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

6. -	X-Ray Labs dangerously outdated. Radiologists sound alarm: Equipment so archaic that even Cambodian refugee camp doesn't want it, Tom Arnold, National Post, October 12, 2000

7. -	Saskatchewan Health Care: Confirmation Of The Most Mismanaged System In Canada, by Mario deSantis, October 12, 2000