Healthcare system needs to be flexible, says Lake

NEWS/ HEALTH — Health care in B.C. is getting better, though there are many challenges ahead, says Health Minister Terry Lake.

“We know we are actually making progress, though some days it feels like we have a long way to go,” Lake told about 70 people at a Kamloops Chamber of Commerce luncheon today.

Using charts and graphs, Lake provided an overview of what his ministry has been doing to meet some of those challenges and build “a sustainable” healthcare system.

“We all need to be working in the same direction.”

Lake said the system — and those who run and pay for it — have to be willing to be flexible in the search for solutions. He said the role of hospitals, for example, is evolving. People used to think of them as “a big building where you go to get better” but “the last placed you really want to be when you’re sick is in a hospital.”

The concept of health “factories” that specialize in certain types of surgery that can be done efficiently and at a high quality needs to be examined, Lake said.

“We need to be not afraid to have that conversation. Everyone says we need more beds. We don’t need more beds in hospitals. We need to use them better.”

He added, “We need to not be afraid to change course as needed. That’s always tricky politically.”

Asked about criticism of his decision to speak at a luncheon sponsored by a private healthcare clinic, Lake said private care is already a fact.

“People have this image in Canada that health care is entirely public and, in fact, 30 percent of health care is provide and paid for privately,” said Lake.

“So people can go to a massage therapist, they can go to a chiropractor, they can get services that are provided on their extended health care or pay out of pocket for.

“And about 70 per cent of health care is paid for publicly, like surgery, like seeing your doctor, but in many cases provided for privately, so there is a role for private provision of healthcare in Canada.”

For example, he said, people can have an MRI through the public system or have it done privately.

“it’s part of this patchwork of services that has evolved in the Canadian health care system.”