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Our bureaucrats are playing with the past glory of Saskatchewan, as being both the birth place of Medicare and a peaceful democratic province, to deflect the disastrous economic policies in health care. These bureaucrats don't want to look at themselves in the mirror and change their way of thinking; instead, they play a propaganda game where they claim to be the most committed province to defend public health care(1). And you know how they show their commitment to health care? They show their commitment by spending more money into health care than any other province. That is, Saskatchewan is the most corrupted province in delivering health services. Allan Rock, federal Minister of Health, is quite right when he says that money alone won't solve problems in a system that needs deep reforms and that "just pouring billions of dollars into the present system is not the answer(2)."

My contention is that Saskatchewan health care is the most expensive and corrupted system across Canada. Therefore, I am going to refer to some relevant statistics on how I describe the status of our health and how our bureaucrats describe deceptive statistics to mislead the public.

I state that an indication that our health status is deteriorating is that today, Saskatchewan has the highest infant mortality rate of any other province(3).

Our government states that an indication that our health status is getting better is that Saskatchewan enjoys one of the highest life expectancy in Canada(4). Rather than looking forward to a better challenging future, our government dreams about the past and mortgages the future of our children.

I state that an indication that our health status is deteriorating is that today 40% of our children are at risk to get an education because they are too poor(5). I also state that Saskatchewan has the least educated workforce of any province in Canada(6).

Our government states that an indication that our health status is getting better is that Saskatchewan enjoys the highest literacy rate in Canada. Also, in accordance to the United Nations Development Index (1995), based on life expectancy, education levels, and economic wellbeing, Saskatchewan should rank first, above any nation in the world and above any other Canadian province(7).

I state that an indication that health care is mismanaged is due to the fact that this province has progressively spent more and more money into health, and they want still more money. In the last four years, health expenditures increased by 21% to reach $1.9 billions, that is 40% of the provincial budget for the year 1999-2000(8). The current operational deficits of health districts are in the order of $47 million(9) and therefore today Saskatchewan could be the province with the highest pro-capita spending in health care(10). When you consider that Saskatchewan is a not-have province, you can understand the related ramifications across any sector of our economy, that is every other sector of public service is corrupted, including education.

Our government has always maintained that its commitment to public health care can be appreciated by how much money it spends(11). This government has never admitted that health care is mismanaged, and along with the Saskatchewan Association of Health Organizations (SAHO) has always stated that health care is underfunded. Pat Atkinson, Minister of Health, has defended the $50 million overrun for the closure of the Plains Health Centre in Regina(12), and she is taking the lead, among her provincial counter parts, in shouting for more money from Ottawa(13), money to be delivered with no strings attached.

Endnotes

Quote by Donella Meadows "challenging a paradigm is not a part-time job. It is not sufficient to make your point once and then blame the world for not getting it. The world has a vested interest in, a commitment to, not getting it. The point has to be made patiently and repeatedly, day after day after day" ftp://sysdyn.mit.edu/ftp/sdep/Roadmaps/RM1/D-4143-1.pdf http://iisd1.iisd.ca/pcdf/meadows/default.htm

General reference: Articles by Mario deSantis published by North Central Internet News

1. Saskatchewan Health administrators unite against Ralph Klein, SAHO Convention, http://sask.cbc.ca/ Web Posted | Mar 23 2000 10:08 AM

2. Rock says Liberals united, Tories seem divided on private health care, Sandra Cordon, http://www.saskstar.sk.ca/cp/ Last updated by The Canadian Press (CP) at 11:54 on March 26, 2000, EST.

3. Saskatchewan Healthcare: Using Researches to Blatantly Lie to the Public, by Mario deSantis, November 27, 1999 http://www.ftlcomm.com/ensign/desantisArticles/desantis88/healthcarelie.html

4. THE VISION OF HEALTH RENEWAL, Saskatchewan Health http://www.gov.sk.ca/health/

5. Report of the Provincial Auditor, 1999 Fall Report, Volume 2, Chapter 2-Education, page 123, Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan, Regina, Saskatchewan. The Provincial Auditor has stated that 40% of our children live in such poor conditions that they are at risk of doing poorly in school. http://www.auditor.sk.ca

6. Mississippi of the North? Adam Killick, National Post, February 05, 2000 http://www.nationalpost.com

7. Saskatchewan, distorted, letter by Honourable Janice MacKinnon, National Post, February 17, 2000 http://www.nationalpost.com

8. News Release Archives, Saskatchewan Government, refer to provincial budgets for the month of March and for different years http://www.gov.sk.ca/newsrel/archive.html

9. Health District Deficits & Surpluses, Based on Third Quarter Projections. Source: Saskatchewan Health As at March 14, 2000 http://www.skcaucus.com/news/2000/mar/summary_of_health_district_deficits.htm

10. PUBLIC FUNDING FOR HEALTH CARE STRONG IN SASKATCHEWAN, Government News Release, Health - 918, December 16, 1999 http://www.gov.sk.ca/newsrel/1999/12/16-918.html

11. HEALTH CARE FUNDING INCREASES 11 PER CENT TO $1.9 BILLION, Government News Release, Health 99 - 208, March 26, 1999 http://www.gov.sk.ca/newsrel/1999Mar/208.99032603.html

12. The closure of the Plains Health Centre: The $50 million overrun and the gimmick of saving money in health care, by Mario deSantis, December 19, 1999 http://www.ftlcomm.com/ensign/desantisArticles/desantis94/plainsclosure.html

13. Health system needs cash, by Barb Pacholik, The Leader-Post, March 25, 2000, Regina, Saskatchewan