Alberta Health Care Allegations - Are you following this?

[flyingchange]

Here's the latest I found. What do you guys think about it?

Initially I was a bit embarrassed for Dr. Sherman. I really supported him speaking out a few months ago, but I was not sure if his brazen statements about muzzled doctors was timely or provable, and I felt badly for him stating what he did without the data to back him up.

However it seems like he's got a bit of a fire building now and I wonder if he'll stay in politics after this. What a way to go out, though :)

Personally I think this is exactly what happens when you erase an entire decade of health care funding (thanks Klein!) and then try to pretend that private health care is "working".

[Fiona59]

It was just on the radio that Raj will most likely become a Liberal.

He has raised some good points but he really needs to learn to speak in public. His "passion" is starting to become scary, wild-eyed, and at times he sounds paranoid.

Some of his points are good ones. But let's be realistic, people do die waiting for treatment. If your cancer is discovered at such an advanced stage, that you are given weeks to live, should you be a surgical candidate?

My father was given four weeks after his diagnosis. He, himself, admitted he should have gone to the doctor years earlier due to his symptoms. He spent the end of his life with his family enjoying what was left of it, rather than chasing a cure and surgery.

Healthcare is a mess. I do believe that doctors are hounded out. The media finally tracked down the thoracic surgeon in Harvard. We all know nurses who have been hounded off units due to poor management and bullying. We know nurses breaking their backs in LTC with unsafe patient loads.

But the Conservatives don't like spending money, and the average Alberta voter doesn't want a tax rise, so they continue to re-elect the Conservative cabal. The same voter then goes to visit a relative in LTC (who built this province, ah thank you for voting Conservative provincially, and Liberal (federally 30 years ago) and snips and snipes at the LPN and NA trying to provide safe care for upto 45 patients.

[NotReady4PrimeTime, RN]

I absolutely believe Dr Sherman's allegations. I've seen it. More than once... including the suggestion that the "guilty" party has psychological problems. The intimidation, coercion and retribution brought to bear toward those who criticize the system publicly are not trivial and have the potential to not only ruin careers but health and lives. This provides a very detailed description of the dangers inherent in speaking up. Although the focus of the op-ed is on physicians, CARNA follows the same blueprint and timeline. Anyone who has ever been the subject of a CARNA investigation will attest to that.