Health-Care Determines a Nations Well Being

As more and more demands are placed on our health-care system, there is growing concern over how the system will be maintained and how services will be administered.

Good health alone does not guarantee that an individual will strive, achieve and become the best they can be. However, it could also be said that an individual’s ability to strive and potential for achievement can diminish as a result of poor health.

If an individuals potential to become the best they can be is diminished, so too is the potential of the community, the province and the nation. We believe that the best leaders understand that to realize the fullest potential of the whole, they must assist the individual to be the best they can be.

Do we expect our leaders to listen to the people that elected them? Absolutely. As individuals, we do not have access to the resources necessary to fix health-care concerns. However, as end users we can provide valuable feedback as to areas of concern and our expectations. The best leaders recognize this - they do not sit and wait until expressions of concern become wails of anguish and heartbreak before taking action. Accomplishing something from the bottom up does not mean that leaders divest themselves of the responsibility to lead.

Will all people agree on all things at all times? No, they will not. Diversity of thought and opinion are a leader’s greatest challenge but have the potential to achieve great and wonderful things. Can a government and its leaders be all things to all people? No, they cannot. But, people do expect their leaders to be competent and to make honest efforts to try to improve things.

We believe that under no circumstance should responsibility for or authority over our health-care system be placed in the hands of private enterprise. However, meaningful and sustainable meeting of health-care needs requires the ability and willingness to communicate and adapt.

We believe that in the end the problems that plague the health-care system should and must be dealt with by those that provide compassionate day-to-day, hands-on care. Systems and bureaucracy can aid the process. However, we must ensure that the needs of the system do not smother the needs of the people they serve. We must ensure that our health-care system does not devolve from needing resources to treat patients to needing resources to maintain the bureaucracy.

It is the responsibility of all Canadians to be informed, take a position and offer guidance to our elected officials.

The vision of SUN is to be a leading resource and advocate on seniors’ issues. SUN invites you to visit our web site www.seniorsunitednow.ca or to contact our office directly at 780-449-1816 E-Mail--unitenow@telus.net

Ron F. Ellis

Executive Director, S.U.N.