Editor, The News:
A short while ago, my wife died after a two-year fight with cancer.
During that time, I became aware of what Ridge Meadows Hospital and its staff can do for people. In particular, the oncology and palliative care staff, for whom I have the highest praise.
For the doctors and nurses, I thank you very much for your support.
We all complain about the health care system, and we should. We just don’t complain to the right people.
The communities continue to grow, but the hospitals do not. The hospitals should be linked to the community in some way.
Considering what I have seen of hospital staff and what they have to work with, I have no complaints with them.
However, I do have complaints with the people who want to privatize the health care system, those who want to make it a two-tier system or in some way dismantle what exists.
Can it be improved? Of course it can, and it should be improved. Anything managed by humans has lots of room for improvement.
There are always a few uncaring or poor employees in any enterprise, not to mention the bureaucrats and politicians, who were told about the coming age and population crisis 20 years ago.
These problems are an excuse to support privatization, which is all about someone making money from us, as taxpayers, in a way they couldn’t before. It is nothing more.
The excessive cost of drugs and their ineffectiveness is the same, it’s more about making money than it is about helping people.
I feel sorry for the Americans. They just don’t get it.
I can tell you I thought I understood; now I know I do.
I’m truly grateful for what we have despite the problems.
Bill Barron
Maple Ridge
