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Not so free Health – Advocates of Canadian-style health care present limited, misleading information about the true state of Canada’s health care system

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BY SIMONE J. SMITH

“We have free healthcare; it is one of the reasons why I live in Canada.” Hearing statements like this used to set off a sense of pride in me, because I thought this is the one thing that set our country apart from other countries.

Actually, this is one of the reasons that I have always said that I would never live in the United States of America, because there you have to pay for your healthcare, which means that if you don’t have money, you could lay there dying on the street, and no one would help you, unless…

I received a report a few days ago that made me realize how silly my thoughts actually are. Here I thought we were at an advantage, only to realize that honestly, we are not better off than our American neighbours.

The Canadian healthcare system (aka, Canadian Medicare) is more than a set of public insurance plans: more than 90% of Canadians view it as an important source of collective pride. What is now coming to surface is that Canadians are deeply concerned that the health care system is no longer meeting their needs.  With the system under significant strain — patients struggling to access care, intermittent emergency department closures, growing surgical backlogs— there have been increasing calls to re-examine how the Canadian government funds and delivers health care services in Canada.

Too often advocates of Canadian-style health care present limited, or even misleading information about the true state of Canada’s health care system and worse, oftentimes present the ideal of Canadian health care rather than its reality.

Medicare was born in 1947. It spread across the country through federal cost sharing, and eventually was harmonized through standards in a federal law, the Canada Health Act of 1984. The health-care system is less a true national system than a decentralized collection of provincial and territorial insurance plans covering a narrow basket of services, which are free at the point of care.

It is funded primarily through taxes at the federal and provincial/territorial levels. This funding helps cover the cost of essential medical services, such as doctor visits, hospital stays, and some preventive care. Our healthcare system is supposed to provide universal coverage, meaning that all Canadian citizens and permanent residents are eligible for the same basic healthcare services. This ensures that everyone has access to necessary medical care regardless of their financial status.

While the Canadian healthcare system is generally well-regarded for its commitment to providing access to medical care for all residents, it is not without challenges, as you are soon going to learn more about in this article. Canada is renowned across the world for its universal healthcare. However, despite this, there is still a cost for certain types of treatment – and this cost can be a barrier for some people in need of care. There are profound health inequities experienced by Indigenous populations, and some vulnerable groups also require coordinated action on the social determinants of health if these inequities are to be effectively addressed.

A survey conducted by the Angus Reid Institute in partnership with the Canadian Medical Association (CMA), found that 68% of respondents said they believe health care has worsened over the past decade, up from 42% who said the same in 2015. Nearly 70% of respondents doubted that things would change for the better in the next two years.

In another study, Canadians showed relatively high satisfaction in their healthcare system, as revealed in 2021 Ipsos conducted a survey on behalf of the Montreal Economic Institute. Among the 1,168 adult Canadians surveyed, two-thirds (66%) report being satisfied (55% somewhat/12% very) with their province’s healthcare system. However, Canadians remain critical of several aspects of the health system, with seven in ten (71%) agreeing (29% completely/43% somewhat) that the system is too bureaucratic to respond quickly or adequately to the needs of the population and over half saying that recent investments in healthcare have either worsened (19%) or had no effect (35%) on the system.

It appears that the most visible manifestation of Canada’s failing health care system is wait times for health care services. In an article titled, “Canada not a good example of universal health care,” in 2013, Canadians, on average, faced a four and a half month wait for medically necessary treatment after referral by a general practitioner. This wait time is almost twice as long as it was in 1993 when national wait times were first measured.

In 2010, 41% of Canadian patients waited for two or more months for a specialist appointment compared to only five percent in Switzerland. Further, 25% of Canadians waited for four months, or more for elective surgery compared to just five percent in the Netherlands. There is also evidence from the OECD showing that some nations with universal access health care systems—Belgium, France, Germany, Japan, Luxembourg, Korea, the Netherlands, and Switzerland—report no problems with wait times.

During my research, I also came across an article titled, Explainer: What ails Canada’s healthcare system?  In the article they stated that total health spending in Canada was expected to reach C$331 billion in 2022, or C$8,563 per Canadian, according to the Canadian Institute for Health Information. Total health expenditure in 2022 was expected to rise by 0.8%, following a high growth rate of 13.2% in 2020 and 7.6% in 2021. From 2015 to 2019 health spending growth averaged 4% per year.

In 2022, total health spending was 12.2% of GDP, down from 13.8% in 2020. According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, Canada’s per-capita health spending was below that of the United States, Germany, Switzerland and other rich countries in 2021.

Is this the reason for the results of a recent survey by Compare the Market Australia that found that a significant number of Canadians have delayed important and necessary healthcare treatment and surgery due to the cost. The survey asked how many had delayed necessary surgeries, or other medical appointments and treatment because they were unable to afford it.

In fact, almost one in five had delayed a medically necessary surgery because of cost (17.0%). Just over a quarter of respondents hadn’t required surgery (27.2%), meaning that a bit over half of Canadians had required surgery and were able to get it when they needed (55.8%). Of this group:

  • 9% had always paid for their surgeries
  • 5% had received surgeries for free
  • 4% had the cost mostly, or completely covered by health insurance

When asked what types of surgeries they had delayed, the most common response was major dental surgery at 49.4%, followed by optical surgeries (excluding cataracts) at 14.1%, and cataract surgery (12.9%). Other types of surgeries delayed due to costs include:

  • Major dental surgery – 49.4%
  • Other optical surgery – 14.1%
  • Cataract surgery – 12.9%
  • Other – 12.4%
  • Surgical skin lesion treatment – 9.4%
  • Medically necessary plastic or cosmetic surgery – 8.2%
  • Joint reconstruction – 7.1%
  • Endoscopy – 4.7%
  • Joint replacement – 3.5%

Dental was the most likely non-surgical treatment to be delayed because of cost. When asked if they had delayed any healthcare appointments and treatment from a provided list, 45% of Canadians said dental. The next most common was optical at 22.3%, and psychology at 14.3%. Only 36.0% of Canadians said they had never delayed a health appointment due to cost.

Let’s’ take a look at medical treatments and appointments that were delayed due to costs:

  • Dental – 45.0%
  • Optical – 22.3%
  • Psychological – 14.3%
  • Physiotherapy – 13.8%
  • Chiropractic – 11.8%
  • Regular doctor’s visit – 11.0%
  • Skin health appointment- 5.7%
  • Scan/X-ray/Ultrasound – 3.6%
  • Podiatry – 3.1%
  • Gynecology – 1.5%
  • Other – 1.5%

Is our healthcare system at a crisis point? Is there a need for our governmental officials to listen to and incorporate the voices of patients and the providers who deliver care? There is consensus that access to care on many levels must be fixed and that the solution is not just throwing more money at a dysfunctional system. We need actual structural change. What this means for our public health system — long a source of pride for Canadians — remains to be seen.

We, as humans are guaranteed certain things in life: stressors, taxes, bills and death are the first thoughts that pop to mind. It is not uncommon that many people find a hard time dealing with these daily life stressors, and at times will find themselves losing control over their lives. Simone Jennifer Smith’s great passion is using the gifts that have been given to her, to help educate her clients on how to live meaningful lives. The Hear to Help Team consists of powerfully motivated individuals, who like Simone, see that there is a need in this world; a need for real connection. As the founder and Director of Hear 2 Help, Simone leads a team that goes out into the community day to day, servicing families with their educational, legal and mental health needs.Her dedication shows in her Toronto Caribbean newspaper articles, and in her role as a host on the TCN TV Network.

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Forgetting isn’t just something to be annoyed about, it’s a smart way to survive

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Photo credit - Press Foto

BY KHADIJA KARIM

Have you ever forgotten someone’s name, or where you left your phone and thought, “Why can’t I remember anything?” Forgetting might feel frustrating, but it turns out that forgetting things can actually be good for you. Experts believe forgetting might be an important part of human survival and could even have benefits.

You probably think that remembering everything would be better, right? If you remembered every tiny detail, like what you had for breakfast three weeks ago, or the colour of every car you saw today, you would be overwhelmed. Our brains are constantly receiving information, and if we didn’t forget some of it, we wouldn’t be able to focus on what really matters at that time.

Forgetting helps you clear out information you don’t need, and it helps your brain remember the most useful memories. Think about how hard it would be to focus on important things if your mind was filled with random thoughts. Forgetting helps you stay focused and keeps your mind from getting lost.

So, why would evolution make us forget things? Early humans had to deal with dangerous environments that changed quickly. They needed to remember things that helped them survive, like where to find food, or how to avoid predators. They didn’t need to remember every small detail, like what happened last week. Forgetting information, they didn’t need allowed them to make quick decisions based on what was most important at that moment in time.

For example, if you remember a recent storm, you might make sure to stay inside or find shelter. If you remembered every storm you’d ever seen, it would be harder to make decisions about the present. Forgetting irrelevant details helps you stay on your feet and helps you react faster to new situations. This ability to forget likely helped early humans survive and make better decisions in their everyday lives.

Next time you forget something, don’t be too hard on yourself! Forgetting is a natural part of how our brains work and can actually help you stay focused on the important things. It might seem annoying at times, but it’s helping you make better decisions. Forgetting isn’t just something to be annoyed about, it’s a smart way to survive in a world that’s always changing!

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Blink equity dives deep into the gap between people of colour and decision-making roles in Canadian law firms

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Photo Credit: AI Image

BY ADRIAN REECE

Representation in the workforce has been a topic of conversation for years, particularly in positions of influence, where people can shift laws and create fair policies for all races. Representation in the legal system is an even more talked about subject, with many Black men being subjected to racism in courts and not being given fair sentencing by judges.

The fear of Black men entering the system is something that plagues mothers and fathers as they watch their children grow up.

Blink Equity, a company led by Pako Tshiamala, has created an audit called the Blink Score. This audit targets law firms and seeks to identify specific practices reflecting racial diversity among them in Toronto. A score is given based on a few key performance indicators. These KPIs include hiring practices, retention of diverse talent, and racial representation at every level.

The Blink Score project aims to analyze law firms in Ontario with more than 50 lawyers. The Blink Score is a measurement tool that holds law firms accountable for their representation. Firms will be ranked, and the information will be made public for anyone to access.

This process is ambitious and seeks to give Canadian citizens a glimpse into how many people are represented across the legal field. While more and more people have access to higher education, there is still a gap between obtaining that higher education and working in a setting where change can be made. The corporate world, at its highest points, is almost always one race across the board, and very rarely do people of colour get into their ranks. They are made out to be an example of how anyone from a particular race can achieve success. However, this is the exception, not the rule. Nepotism plays a role in societal success; connections are a factor, and loyalty to race, even if people are acquainted.

People of colour comprise 16% of the total lawyers across the province. Positions at all levels range from 6% to 27%. These numbers display the racial disparity among law practitioners in positions of influence. Becoming a lawyer is undoubtedly a huge accomplishment. Still, when entering the workforce with other seasoned professionals, your academic accolades become second to your professional achievements and your position in the company.

What do these rankings ultimately mean? A potential for DEI-inclusive practices, perhaps? That isn’t something that someone would want in this kind of profession. This kind of audit also opens law firms up to intense criticism from people who put merit above all other aspects of professional advancement. On the other hand, there is a potential for firms to receive clientele based on their blink score, with higher ones having the chance to bring in more race-based clients who can help that law firm grow.

It is only the beginning, and changes will undoubtedly be made in the legal field as Blink Equity continues to dive deep into the gap between people of colour and decision-making roles in these law firms. This audit has the power to shift the power scale, and place people of colour in higher positions. There are hierarchies in any profession, and while every Lawyer is qualified to do what they are trained to do, it is no shock that some are considerably better than others at their jobs. The ones who know how to use this audit to their advantage will rise above the others and create a representative image for themselves among their population.

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“The Pfizer Papers!” Documentation of worldwide genocide

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BY SIMONE J. SMITH

We are living in a world where promises of health and safety came packaged in a tiny vial, one injection was promoted by powerful governments, supported by respected institutions, and championed by legacy media worldwide. Sadly, beneath the surface, a darker truth emerged.

Reports from around the globe began to tell a different story—one that was not covered in the news cycles or press conferences. Families torn apart by unexpected losses, communities impacted in ways that few could have foreseen, and millions questioning what they had been told to believe.

Those who dared to question were silenced or dismissed (the Toronto Caribbean Newspaper being one of those sources). “Trust the science,” we were told. “It’s for the greater good.” As time went on, the truth became impossible to ignore.

Now, I bring more news to light—information that demands your attention and scrutiny. The time to passively listen has passed; this is the moment to understand what’s really at stake.

I reviewed an interview with Naomi Wolf, journalist and CEO of Daily Clout, which detailed the serious vaccine-related injuries that Pfizer and the FDA knew of by early 2021, but tried to hide from the public. I was introduced to “The Pfizer Papers: Pfizer’s Crimes Against Humanity.” What I learned is that Pfizer knew about the inadequacies of its COVID-19 vaccine trials and the vaccine’s many serious adverse effects, and so did the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA promoted the vaccines anyway — and later tried to hide the data from the public.

To produce “The Pfizer Papers,” Naomi, and Daily Clout Chief Operations Officer Amy Kelly convened thousands of volunteer scientists and doctors to analyze Pfizer data and supplementary data from other public reporting systems to capture the full scope of the vaccines’ effects. They obtained the data from the Public Health and Medical Professionals for Transparency, a group of more than 30 medical professionals and scientists who sued the FDA in 2021 and forced the agency to release the data, after the FDA refused to comply with a Freedom of Information Act request.

It was then that the federal court ordered the agency to release 450,000 internal documents pertaining to the licensing of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. The data release was significantly and the documents so highly technical and scientific that according to Naomi, “No journalist could have the bandwidth to go through them all.”

The “Pfizer Papers” analysts found over 42,000 case reports detailing 158,893 adverse events reported to Pfizer in the first three months The centerpiece of “The Pfizer Papers” is the effect that the vaccine had on human reproduction. The papers reveal that Pfizer knew early on that the shots were causing menstrual issues. The company reported to the FDA that 72% of the recorded adverse events were in women. Of those, about 16% involved reproductive disorders and functions. In the clinical trials, thousands of women experienced: daily bleeding, hemorrhaging, and passing of tissue, and many other women reported that their menstrual cycle stopped completely.

Pfizer was aware that lipid nanoparticles from the shots accumulated in the ovaries and crossed the placental barrier, compromising the placenta and keeping nutrients from the baby in utero. According to the data, babies had to be delivered early, and women were hemorrhaging in childbirth.

Let us take us to another part of the world, where research has been done on other pharmaceutical companies. A group of Argentine scientists identified 55 chemical elements — not listed on package inserts — in the: Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, CanSino, Sinopharm and Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccines (according to a study published last week in the International Journal of Vaccine Theory, Practice, and Research).

The samples also contained 11 of the 15 rare earth elements (they are heavier, silvery metals often used in manufacturing). These chemical elements, which include lanthanum, cerium and gadolinium, are lesser known to the general public than heavy metals, but have been shown to be highly toxic. By the end of 2023, global researchers had identified 24 undeclared chemical elements in the COVID-19 vaccine formulas.

Vaccines often include excipients — additives used as preservatives, adjuvants, stabilizers, or for other purposes. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), substances used in the manufacture of a vaccine, but not listed in the contents of the final product should be listed somewhere in the package insert. Why is this important? Well, researchers argue it is because excipients can include allergens and other “hidden dangers” for vaccine recipients.

In one lot of the AstraZeneca vaccine, researchers identified 15 chemical elements, of which 14 were undeclared. In the other lot, they detected 21 elements of which 20 were undeclared. In the CanSino vial, they identified 22 elements, of which 20 were undeclared.

The three Pfizer vials contained 19, 16 and 21-23 undeclared elements respectively. The Moderna vials contained 21 and between 16-29 undeclared elements. The Sinopharm vials contained between 17-23 undeclared elements and the Sputnik V contained between 19-25 undetected elements.

“All of the heavy metals detected are linked to toxic effects on human health,” the researchers wrote. Although the metals occurred in different frequencies, many were present across multiple samples.

I am not going to go any further with this; I think you get the picture. We have been sold wolf cookies, very dangerous ones. These pharmaceutical companies must be held accountable. I am proud of anyone who has gone after them for retribution, and have received it. Regardless, in many ways, there is no repayment for a healthy life.

REFERENCES:

https://ijvtpr.com/index.php/IJVTPR/article/view/111

https://news.bloomberglaw.com/health-law-and-business/why-a-judge-ordered-fda-to-release-covid-19-vaccine-data-pronto

https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender_category/toxic-exposures/

Pfizer’s ‘Crimes Against Humanity’ — and Legacy Media’s Failure to Report on Them

55 Undeclared Chemical Elements — Including Heavy Metals — Found in COVID Vaccines

 

Public Health and Medical Professionals for Transparency

FDA Should Need Only ‘12 Weeks’ to Release Pfizer Data, Not 75 Years, Plaintiff Calculates

Judge Gives FDA 8 Months, Not 75 Years, to Produce Pfizer Safety Data

Most Studies Show COVID Vaccine Affects Menstrual Cycles, BMJ Review Finds

Report 38: Women Have Two and a Half Times Higher Risk of Adverse Events Than Men. Risk to Female Reproductive Functions Is Higher Still.

 

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