Back chat; Readers react to the B.C. government cutback of funding for diagnostic scans such as magnetic resonance imaging

The Province

Surely an emergency?
My three-year-old granddaughter has a severe involuntary tic, and we were told by a neurologist she may have a brain tumour. She's been on a MRI waiting list for over six months. Completely unacceptable! We 've been told that the list is long and we have to go to a larger centre to have this done as it involves general anesthesia because the child is so young. Isn't this an emergency?

Tests necessary?
Geez, how did we ever survive without MRIs? Seriously, how many of these tests are necessary?

Test night and day
I've been waiting 13 months for my MRI for multiple sclerosis and I still don't have a definite schedule. I don't blame the medical establishment over this (not too much any way), but the wait lists. Why not have the MRI going 24/7? Does it really cost that much extra when people's lives are at risk?

Don't get sick
I hope the U.S. realizes what it's getting into. We have a great medical system as long as you don't get sick.

Wasting money
The health authority "model" is obscenely wasteful and redundant. It creates duplication of administration and management positions funnelling tens of millions into supporting a management system that does nothing for patient care.

One has to work within health care to fully appreciate how disgustingly wasteful and administration-focused it has become.

There are so many obvious ways to improve patient care and reduce demand on hospital services and cut service delivery times and costs. Sadly, politicians continue to be influenced by wealthy health authority patronage appointments

Superior treatment
As a Canadian living in China, I recently got a body scan done in a Chinese hospital. I walked in off the street -- no appointment. It took two hours from getting my scan done to getting my results, and cost me $93.

I talked with a doctor about my scan and took the pictures away with me. It makes you wonder what is wrong with Canada when I can do all this easily in a developing country.

Health conspiracy
I bet Health Minister Kevin Falcon and his family don't have to wait for MRIs. This is what his plan is -- take the MSP payments and defer them to his bridge, the Olympics and other scams, and take away medical necessities all the while waiting for us "aging baby boomers" to die from a lack of proper health care.

Am I the only one who figured that out?