Janey

Yes, compelling references, F-18 and I suppose that for every good story there will be a matching bad story. But as Jorgelito states, wait times are bad everywhere and I think youare already in the same boat. ( i can relate my ER wait at Providence Hospital in Columbia SC, and the subsequent $305 US bill for the prescription to purchase amoxocylin plus the cost of the drug itself). The counterpoint is well received, but again, I have to stand by my earlier real-life experience. Yes I do live in an area where health care is reasonably good. there are areas of Ontario where it is hard to get afamily doctor. Why? because all (ok the majority) of the doctors want to live in or around the GTA.

Given a preference, most doctors will gravitate to centres of population (read Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Montreal etc) rather than Saskatchewan, Brockville, or the Eastern Townships .

I hardly think it is a result of national healthcare, more the result of freedom of choice of location to set up practice (free enterprise)

While I do think that Saskatchewan Minister of Health John Nilson's statement that lack of MRI access is not hurting patients is purely political (he is just cya'ing) the entire province is only a million people and sometimes the market lags behind the need.

Also , consider the source. The Fraser Institute is a neo con think tank. I'm a small C concervative myself, but I always take what they say with a grain of salt.

I like to stick with my real life experiences. they carry more weight than statistics for me. And it has not always been in the GTA, but also a broken leg (skiing) at Mt Orford in quebec, and my brother's motorcycle accident in BC (interior north of Vancouver)...