I always read the Journal’s opinion pieces, from the two editorials to your other columns. We don’t get such thoughtful writing in the Pontiac, besides the idiocies of social media! However, in this last edition (January 31), I must take issue with a couple of points that Peter Gauthier made in his Pontiac Perspective column about the medical system.
My family includes several medical workers. First, Mr. Gauthier writes: “Canada has one of the best health service systems on the planet.” – we actually have 12 health systems, each run by provincial governments. The feds send the money, but each province decides where it is going – and there’s our problem! Don’t blame the feds for that broken “system”.
Gauthier also praises our health system “staff”. That is much too broad. Yes, our nurses and doctors, and all the folks we meet at the hospital in Shawville are great, compassionate, and efficient! But behind the front desks and doctors – people we never meet – is a massive staff of bureaucrats (named CISSSO). There lies so many of the bottlenecks, mistakes, and mis-scheduling’s. These people are heavily unionized, very well paid, and actually use the public’s support of front-line workers to protect featherbedding (too many people for the actual job) and their absolute lack of efficiency and urgency, as often is the case, anyway.
Thank you, Journal!
Maurice Chenier
Otter Lake
