Surgery Williams had in U.S. available here

[Spazito]

Canadian cardiac surgeons say there was no need for the premier of Newfoundland and Labrador to cross the border for world-class health care.

The treatment Danny Williams received in the United States is available in at least four Canadian centres including hospitals in Vancouver, Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto, doctors told CBC News.

snip

There is a wait-list in Montreal of up to three months, but urgent cases can get the surgery right away, Jeanmart said.

snip

"If you look at the No. 1 centres all over the world, not every single centre in every country does these sorts of procedures. So I would think that the distribution across Canada is not bad. We could do more of that I think."

more


Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2010/02/23/williams-surgery023.html#ixzz0gTxqejeU

It was interesting that the actions of Williams are being debated in GD but nothing had been posted in the Canadian forum so thought I would post this CBC article.

His 'choices' are not going over well it seems, lol.

[Lucy Goosey]

1. I hate that this has somehow become "proof" of how terrible the system is here

Anyone who believes that this is proof that we need a parallel private system up here already believed that anyway.

I could have told Williams that he could have had the surgery in my hometown, anyway - everyone here knows the Ottawa Heart Institute is world class.

Newfoundland's Williams opted for U.S. care while top heart-valve doctor works in Ottawa

If a multi-millionaire wants to pay to have the surgery out of the country, that's completely fine with me. But it's not a comment about the system as a whole, and no media on either side of the border should have been applying broad anti-public-healthcare conclusions here.

[HeresyLives]

2. Williams just wanted to vacation in his Florida condo,

which is fine by me, but no he shouldn't be getting any 'compensation' for this.

As he himself said, it was his choice.

[Spazito]

3. To me, it points out what is wrong with the U.S. current system....

in that a foreigner (Williams) can 'cut in line' in front of one of their own citizens as long as they are the highest 'bidder' nevermind that many, many Americans, including Floridians, couldn't get the surgery at all because they have either no insurance or are under-insured due to the outrageous costs of care.

That is the REAL message, imo.

[daleo]

7. Excellent point. n/t

[glarius]

4. He went to the U.S.A because he didn't want the Canadian press to know where he was IMO

If you notice, when he talks about it he says he was told to "go out of the province." He was obviously told about the availability of the operation in our cities, but I believe he just didn't want to have to deal with the Canadian media if they knew where he was....which they would have in Canada.
He doesn't care if this is giving the American media the amunition to declare our health system lacking!

[Spazito]

5. Highly inflated sense of self-importance it seems, lol...

He would have received little attention from the Canadian media compared that what he has received had he had his surgery in Canada. It was his decision to go to Florida for surgery that is available that guaranteed he would get coverage and negative coverage at that, quite ironic, lol.

[daleo]

6. I walk by the Mazinkowski Heart Centre every day

I think Danny Williams just wanted the warm weather of Florida, along with the pampering of a private hospital for the rich.

[CHIMO]

8. Well

Mea culpa. Hope the voters are decisive.