I'm sick of this myth that people in other countries hate free health care

[laundry_queen]

5. I still have not met these mythical people that waited that long

My FIL required a double knee replacement. He didn't get one for years because he was quite young and back then his doctor said he'd need several surgeries because the fake knees would wear out. When his new doctor found out that my FIL needed knee replacements my FIL got his first one 3 weeks later, and when he was walking, the other knee was done. Both within a few months.

My dad had hip replacement surgery - he was never at that point where he needed painkillers every day but he thought he should ask his doctor about it and 3 months later had had not just a regular hip replacement, but some new kind of way of doing it for more active people. It was a surgery that only a few specialists could perform and he had his surgery a few weeks after his first consult, which was a month or so after his first doctor appointment/x-rays to determine if he needed a replacement.

My mom had foot surgery and had no wait at all other than a week to get in with the specialist, and then booking the surgery.

The longest anyone I know has ever waited for surgery is my uncle. He has some rare degenerative back thing that requires a surgery that only a couple doctors in the entire country perform. He's so scared of actually having the surgery that he's turned down the call a few times, so he's been waiting over a year. He could've had it sooner, but as I said, is reluctant.

When I had my first gall bladder attack, I was told surgery had a long wait. I explained that I was a single mom/full time student and only had a narrow window where I actually have the surgery. They totally accomodated me and I only had to wait 3 weeks.

My daughter, when she was 2 years old, had bilateral trigger thumb, which is not a condition that needs immediate fixing. We were living in the boonies so we did have to travel to see the specialist, but within the month her hands were fixed.

I have *heard* of these so called 2 year waiting lists, but I don't know anyone who has ever waited that long for anything. I suppose it's possible some people are like my FIL where there doctor tells them to wait and they aren't actually ON the list and they count that part as waiting too. Once you are on the list, it's generally not that long, and if you make a few phone calls, and tell them why you can't wait any longer, they do their best to try to get you in sooner.

Most provinces understand the whole 'waiting time' criticism and have active programs to reduce wait times. Most of those programs have done a good job at reducing wait times.