Sabemos que o Canadá tem um dos melhores sistemas de saúde do mundo, mas o sector privado da saúde viu uma oportunidade de negócio e arrancou com uma urgência hospitalar. Contudo, parece-nos que o arranque tem algo de parecido com o exercício da medicina em Portugal, se não vejamos:
- "We've got a wonderful thing here," Dr. Gordon Bird, the facility's medical director.
- Bird is among 24 doctors who work in emergency departments around the Vancouver area and are also employed by the Urgent Care Centre.
- "That's one of the principles of our organization, that all physicians continue to practise in the public system," .
- "Isn't that dual practice, Dr. Bird?" asked a reporter. "We'll continue, we'll have more questions later," said Bird, appearing flustered.
De facto, há qualquer coisa de inconsistente, conforme observa o Primeiro Ministro Canadiano, Stephen Harper:
- "Dual practice creates conflict of interest for physicians as there would be a financial incentive for them to stream patients into the private portion of their practice,".
- "Furthermore, dual practice legitimizes queue-jumping as it provides an approved mechanism for patients to pay to seek treatment at the front of the line," .
Contudo, há quem ache que a nova clínica vem melhorar a ineficiência do sistema público: "Dr. Mark Godley, the operator of the "state-of-the-art" 10-bed clinic, has said the clinic will help ease overcrowding in emergency wards where people have to wait too long for treatment".
