Sister Sage's Musings

I was one of the few who actually didn’t make a big stink over the guy going off to the U.S. for his heart surgery, due to the fact many of Canada’s rich and famous go to the U.S. and Europe for treatment when they have the money to just pay for that extra something special, like a maid at their beck and call, mini bar, leather furniture, etc. They have always gone even before an axe was taken to our health care system in the 90s.  Even if governments hadn’t made the cuts they had and all was still well, they would still go.  As long as they paid out of their own pocket, and not use one dime of the taxpayers’ money, I was ok with that.

In fact, I had brought up the argument that instead of blaming Danny Williams, we should blame the right leaning corporate media for telling us how to think or feel.

Then, when he finally resurfaced at his Florida condo, it became my health, my heart and  my choice. True, but it sounds arrogant, and while he may still defend Canada’s single-payer health care system, statements like that seem to show otherwise.

“I did not sign away my right to get the best possible health care for myself when I entered politics.”

The above statement simply fuels right wingnutz on both sides of the border who are lapping it up. He never elaborated further. Does he realize this?  That above statement implies that our health care system is sub-standard. He even mentioned that his  doctor told him that the procedure he sought was not offered in Canada.  Whether he lied or just swallowed whatever his doctors told him; we all know this is a blatant lie.  His American Doctor friends, whose only concerns are profit margins over actual patient care were his source of info. Not other Canadian doctors, who would have told him he could indeed have the surgery in Canada Even a conservative senator has come out said Canada has top cardiac surgeons. In fact, even that less invasive procedure is done in Canada,  Canadians Doctors say.  In fact, one of the reasons Jack Layton says that Danny Williams’ decision was good for Canada health care was because

“The cardiac surgeons who are capable of doing some of the most advanced cardiac work in this country are speaking up and letting Canadians know that we have the kinds of services and care that Canadians need,” Layton said. “What I think it will also do is underline to Canadians the importance of keeping our health-care system public.”

Yes, that is positive, but it seems that Williams talking from both sides of his mouth will only have the noisy neo-cons out saying the American system is the best in the world and it must be brought to Canada. But thanks for trying Layton.

Danny-boy knew of the backlash he would face, but clearly he didn’t care about that. If he honestly wanted simply to recover in a Hilton Hotel styled room with maids at his beck and call with mini-bar and filet mignon dinners only to go recover in the Florida sun at his condo, he shouldn’t have allowed his deputy premier or anyone else from his cabinet or staff talk to the media. It would have been much better that way.

Well, if we weren’t pissed off enough at him, here’s his evil joke from last night at the eve Newfoundland-Labrador at the Vancouver Olympics.

“If I collapse up here, please drag me to Seattle – because the Canadian Medical Association won’t have anything to do with me,” the Newfoundland and Labrador Premier said.

While I still don’t believe that he will do the Fox News Circuit like Shona Holmes and do ads for Americans for prosperity and Patients First or any other American neo-con public interest group, that so-called joke above seems to be an underhanded endorsement of the American health care system and an attack on our single-payer system.  Yes, he does come off as a jerk for having made the above statement. He knew what kind of trouble his decision caused, he should have quit while he was behind, but had to rub salt in that wound. It also  fuels Stevie’s desire for American health care in Canada.

It also causes further damage on the debate of health care reform state side. Think no one from the Fox News crowd didn’t catch that flippant statement?

The fact that he didn’t care about backlash, the fact that he didn’t excercise discretion (ie: passing the absence off as a snowbird enjoying his Florida condo for a month or so), the vagueness of his research if any, these arrogant and flippant statements as well as that so-called joke  has me wondering if all of this was deliberate?  Like Ex-Lax Max goin’ rogue on climate change and Vellacott and Trost going off on their pro-lifer mission,  was Danny-boy acting on behalf of Stevie and the Harpercon agenda? Unlike what a lot of folks think, Danny-boy and Stevie have long since kissed and made up.

I have to agree with Andre Picard over at the Grope & Fail:  Danny-boy’s sin was not going off to the U.S. for his surgery, but for not informing himself well enough about the availability of the surgery in Canada. It may not have been available in St-John’s but it is available in major cities like Montreal, Toronto and Ottawa and many more. His other sin with his short statements including his little quip from last night did slam our health care system, however inadvertently.

I still blame the media though.  I wonder if they’re camped outside of Jack Layton’s home day in and day out and ready to follow him to his cancer treatments to make sure he isn’t using a Toronto private clinic or going to Buffalo?  Up til now, there is no reason to suggest Layton isn’t using our public health care system to treat his prostate cancer:  Ì’m sure it would have Danny-boy old news and onto Layton.

What happens though if there is an experimental treatment for prostate cancer state side and it’s not available here? Are we going to lambaste him in the same way?

Perhaps Layton has learned that if he wants to go private and/or leave Canada for his treatments, he will have to use the utmost discretion, so the Harpercon media won’t get wind of it.  Surely, he would have learned from Danny-boy.

By the way, that ‘less invasive’ procedure Williams sought in Florida might well have more risks associated with that.

“Minimally invasive mitral valve repair consists of doing an MV repair surgically through a 5 cm small side chest incision instead of a 10 cm incision in the middle of the chest. A recent survey published at the Society of Thoracic Surgeons meeting (Jan 2010) expressed some word of caution and showed it is not recommended for complex mitral valve repair and also that the rate of complication (strokes in particular) is higher.

“There are a few advantages in terms of length of hospital stay or transfusion or post-operative arrythmias. The only real benefit is cosmetic. Many world renowned experts do not advocate it, in fact. It is done in Canada, but again, with caution. I propose it only for cosmetic reasons in a young woman who dislikes the idea of having a scar visible in summer. This procedure is well publicized in the U.S. in some centres.”

Not that I wish Danny-boy ill will, but he has pissed me off and no doubt, many Canadians.  There is something about Karma and if he does have one of those complications, perhaps we can strengthen that argument that private for profit isn’t necessarily better and Danny-boy and the right can start eating crow once and for all.

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