Doctor and nurse shortages in Canada are signs of the times, or rather signs that our babyboomers are getting old. With babyboomer doctors and nurses retiring, but with the majority of babyboomers going to the hospital more frequently, there is suddenly a shortage of doctors and nurses during the time when we need them most.

Long waits for surgery or to see a specialist is now common place.

But what are the solutions?

Well, Stephen Harper of the ultra right-wing Conservative party thinks we should privatize health care and sell our hospitals. He believes that privatized health care will be faster and have less waiting.

Which is true...

But only if you're rich.

If you're poor or middle class, you will have to wait even longer because under a privatized system (like in the United States), the rich people come first.

And if Harper did privatize health care and hospitals, who would he sell it to?

The Americans.

After all, they're the ones who have experience at running privatized hospitals.

And are those hospitals any faster at delivering surgeries/etc?

No.

Like I said, they're only faster if you're rich or willing to pay extra.

No thank you.

I'd rather keep the Canadian system of keeping health care free.

And there is other ways to speed up the system.

***That last one is especially important. If every person coming out of highschool these days knew how to deal with a person who is having a heart attack, there would be a lot less fatalities. Most deaths from heart attacks are because the paramedics don't get there in time.

In addition, if the classes were mandatory it would create more student interest in studying medicine.

And thats what Canada needs right now. More students who want to be doctors.

Not lawyers or politicians like Stephen Harper who want to sell the health care system to the Americans.