My Thoughts on the Leaders' Debate

The topic of health care had a strong presence in the recent Leader’s debate, and is likely a major issue for a substantial amount of voters. The two questions posed to the leaders related to waiting lists, and bringing health care spending under control – two issues that would appear to be at odds with each other. It was a great combination of questions being that both issues are extremely relevant to a lot of Saskatchewan citizens, but it was also interesting that the health care spending question was placed second, after the leaders had proposed their grandiose and costly plans to reduce wait times.
Each of the three parties’ plans to deal with wait times shared some common elements, but contained enough fundamental difference to allow for a lively debate. While each leader acknowledged their own special plan to hire/recruit/train/retain more doctors and nurses, none chose to elaborate any further except Wall who proudly pointed out that his plan was created way back in September, and Karwacki who emphasized his plan was “made in Saskatchewan.”
One of the comments of most interest to me was Calvert’s statement “a universal drug plan will improve wait times.” I’m wondering whether this was a personal opinion, or was something he read in a medical journal, or saw in a study, or maybe just something that he hoped would be the case. According to Saskatchewan’s Surgical Care Network, the longest wait times are currently in the areas of orthopedics, plastic surgery, dental surgery and ophthalmology. In my non-professional opinion, patients who have been waiting for a hip replacement, skin graft, root canal or cataract removal are not likely to skip out on surgery because they can now get a cheaper prescription. On the other hand, while Wall’s version of the drug plan may be more fiscally responsible, what is the logic behind setting the cutoff for children at 14 years? Should wealthy parents of a 14 year old with leukemia be paying less for cancer meds than the impoverished parents of a 15 year old leukemia patient?
In regards to the second health care question, about bringing health care spending under control, it was my feeling that the question was never really answered. Karwacki gave mention of a health/social policy council that he assured would help bring spending under control, but chose not to elaborate. Wall’s answer was the most specific of the three, as he stated the Sask Party would conduct a patient first review of the health care system to determine if health care dollars are really making it to the front line. However, if the review finds that funds are indeed making it to the front line, then I suppose Mr. Wall will have to actually address the question. Calvert sadly chose to deflect the question by suggesting that under the Sask Party or Liberals, private, for-profit health care would eventually come up because “that is where they always go.” Seeing as that the Sask Party’s official platform ensures their commitment to “publicly funded, publicly delivered health care,” one has to marvel at Calvert’s ability to materialize any piece of information that would suit him well, and present it to the Saskatchewan people as if it were a long established fact.