God save us from our health care system
With skyrocketing provincial health care costs, one family is discovering that the promise of "universal" health care is turning out to be a lie.
Joseph C. Ben-Ami - February 14, 2008
It's ironic that the politician most credited with bringing health care under the control of government in Canada was also an ordained Baptist minister--in today's secular parlance, a Christian fundamentalist. Given his strong religious convictions, one cannot help but wonder how Tommy Douglas would react to the drama now unfolding in a Winnipeg courtroom, where a Christian hospital is fighting, with the approval and full financial backing of the government (meaning taxpayers are footing the bill), for the "right" to stop caring for an elderly disabled man by the name of Samuel Golubchuk.
Surely Douglas would be mortified and, in the face of overwhelming evidence, would admit that his dream of state-run health care system was nothing more than a utopian illusion--a sort of beauty and the beast story in reverse, where the innocent maiden suddenly discovers that her handsome lover is actually an ugly and sinister monster in disguise.
The saga of Samuel Golubchuk is as dark as it is tragic.
Four years ago Sam had an accident. He fell down a flight of stairs and hit his head, sustaining injuries that resulted in his becoming both physically and mentally disabled. Confined to a wheel chair, he requires assistance for the most basic of needs. Communication with the outside world has been a challenge for Sam since he can no longer speak more than a word or two at a time, and even then usually only in response to others.
Although he has been living in a long-term care facility, Sam hasn't been confined to his bed. His loving family visits with him, takes him on outings, and brings him home for holidays and other family celebrations. It's not always easy for outsiders to tell how Sam feels about these excursions, but his family always can. Every now and then he manages a smile. Recently, when his family brought him bowling, he even tried to push a ball down the lane. Some might say that he wasn't very successful in his attempt, but not his children. For them, small acts like this bring the greatest joy.
Last October, Sam got sick. Although not serious at first, it quickly developed into a life-threatening case of pneumonia and he was moved to Winnipeg's Salvation Army Grace Hospital, where his life hung in the balance for some time. Thankfully, with the appropriate treatment, he beat the pneumonia and began the long road back to health--at least, as healthy as he was before becoming sick. Incredibly, that's when his real trouble began.
Not surprisingly, given his age (84 years old) and disabilities, Sam's recovery has been slow, unsteady, and difficult to measure. That seems to be a problem for the doctors and administrators at the Grace Hospital who have concluded that Sam is unlikely to recover at all. Even if he does, moreover, what kind of a life could he have anyway? With this in mind, they approached Sam's family and asked for their permission to stop providing basic medical care for their father.
It's important to understand that Sam was not being treated for disease or illness. The basic care that the doctors wanted to end amounted to providing him with food and water, along with assistance in breathing when he needs it. In short, they were asking his family for permission to starve Sam to death.
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