With reference to the Globe and Mail article:

The "health care" that is at a crossroads is mostly surgical care - waiting
lists being the main issue.  Surgeons of all specialties across Canada are
also feeling the pinch in terms of access to operating rooms, dealing with
irate patients on long lists and being able to operate enough to keep up
their skills. At the moment these surgeons can, by and large, only operate
in hospitals where their priveleges also requires them to do call for
emergencies.  Many of them would let their public hospital priveleges lapse
if they were allowed to operate in other facilities - less worry, no night
work, fewer tough cases, better income per hour of work or worry.  Who will
then provide the after hours and emergency services?

The worst part of the Klein bill is that it does not even recognize this let
alone plan for it. Private institutions will siphon considerable surgical
resources and skills away from the public hospitals resulting in two tiers
by default.



Frank Timmermans  MB, BS, MPH, FRCSC, FACS
General Surgery, Public Health. Yukon.