Wednesday September 23,
10:12 pm
While those who believe in profit over human need have tried to undermine our faith in Canada’s public health care system, my own (small) ancedotal experience this evening tells me something very different.
While taking photographs at Site 41 yesterday evening (after our historic win at Simcoe County council), I came down from an earthen ridge too hard and broke my heel.
Thinking it was just a painful sprain, I flew back home this morning (a small adventure in itself), but then went to a hospital here in Ottawa. The hospital staff were caring, courteous and professional. Their systems seemed efficient and I was moved through the steps relatively quickly.
Yes, it was six hours – but in that time I was admitted, had a vital signs check-up, saw a doctor, then a specialist twice, had two sets of x-rays taken, had a temporary cast put on, was fiited for crutches, given a prescription, and then had a catscan and follow-up appointment scheduled for the next morning.
And all I had to do for all of this was take my health card out of my wallet.
While my injury was minor and means just six weeks in a cast, it makes me think of those in more serious situations and what our public system provides to them. Our public health care system is a system worth defending.
On a more personal note, thank you to Ontario-Quebec organizer Mark Calzavara for getting me from where I hurt myself to the road and a car by finding a bike at the protest camp, getting me up on it, and pushing me through the uneven field. And thank you to national water campaigner Meera Karunananthan for getting me through a busy Toronto airport in a wheelchair and ensuring I made my flight home when she had her own more imminent flight to Montreal for important water meetings.
