in the house?
the city??
province???

Oh hold on
that’s right!
this is Canada
envy of the world
with its much vaunted
universal health care system
but as the saying goes
ya get what ya pay for
which ain’t a hell of a lot these days

What with clinics overcrowded
4-12 hour waits in emergency rooms
some days even the paramedics
won’t reach you
though the powers that be
are hiring new ones

What other country
saddles its medical professionals
with endless paperwork and taxes?
limits them to how much they can charge
because the state is paying for it

Cheapskate federal government
constantly squabbling with the provinces
over how much they’ll share
while our camera obsessed
globetrotting prime minister
spreads his love (our money)
all over the planet
to look good at the United Nations

All it took was one pandemic
to show us our own dark underbelly
hundreds dying in nursing homes
overburdened hospitals
underpaid nurses
worked to the bone and burnout
to send desperately needed
health care professionals
running for the hills
with their greener pastures

Personally
only human nature
to take for granted
your GP of 30+ years
would stick around a little longer
after saying he loved his work
wouldn’t retire
but that was all before
COVID-19 hit the proverbial fan
now I’m on a waiting list to get another

At least the good doctor was kind enough
to renew my meds for another year
some of which...without...could be life threatening
as I gaze into the half empty bottles
of my last repeats


© 2023

380 hits as of February 2024

06/15/2023

Author's Note: LOL Writing is first and foremost, good therapy. And it did feel good to finally get that off my chest. I’m currently on the provincial waiting list for a new doctor. How long it will take, I have no idea. Welcome to Canada!

Posted on 06/15/2023
Copyright © 2024 Chris Sorrenti