How Is That Free Health Care Treating You, Arlene Meeks?

I could post a story like this every day, but you would soon tire of hearing the same ole same ole all the time. But seeing as this is a new year and all:

VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) - A Surrey woman's holiday in California has turned into a healthcare nightmare. The 68-year old needed emergency surgery after her appendix burst, but now she can't come home due to a lack of hospital beds.

Arlene Meeks has been in a California hospital since December 17th. Her family has been trying to get her transferred back to the Lower Mainland for 2 weeks now but they haven't had any luck.

Stephen Harris with the South Fraser Health Region says the issue is a shortage of ventilated intensive care unit beds, which are highly specialized. He says over the holidays, it's not surprising to see those beds filled up.

Harris says as soon as a bed becomes available, Meeks will be transferred to a local hospital. Arlene's daughter Kim says her mom is 'frustrated as hell', and she just wants to come home.

Shortages of beds, the incredibly long waits for surgery, doctors fleeing Canada for the US, waiting hours upon hours in emergency--it's all worth it, for health care in Canada is free.

What does free mean exactly? Talk to most Canadians and free means exactly that: Something that has no cost. Even many of my University and College educated friends can't wrap their head around the fact that health care isn't free, money must come from somewhere to pay for all the juicy freeness.

Ask 7-10 Canadians what the best thing about health care is and they will tell you that the *free* part is the best. Ask those same Canadians what doctors, nurses and health care providers get paid with every week and those folks will tell you they get paid with money. Ask those same folks where the money comes from to pay them and those same folks won't have a clue in the world what you're talking about. Cuz health care is free.

Sure, 1/3 of all our taxes go to pay for a system that could quite possibly be the most inefficient system in the world, but at least it's free.

Just ask Arlene Meeks. Hey, Arlene, how's our free healthcare treating you?

Thanks, Rodger, for providing this to me...for free