Tegegn was sick yesterday. He had a fever, a rash and wasn’t feeling well. Today we took him to the doctor. This shouldn’t be anything to blog about. It is something we do when our children are sick. Here in Canada, when you are not feeling well, you go to the doctor. We make a phone call, walk in the office, hand over a little credit card size piece of laminated plastic that allows us access to health care, medicine and a better way of life, and we get better. This is one of the many things that separate us from other countries. With everything that is going on in the world, from the American economy to the famine in Africa this little act of going to the doctor has made me think.
We are lucky. I mean really lucky. Sure our health care system has its problems. I have been dealing with, and have complained about the long waits, differences of opinions ect. myself over the past 2 years since my accident, but let’s face it. WE HAVE HEALTH CARE! When I watch the news, read the papers and follow people on the ground in Africa on Twitter I can’t help but think of the differences in our world. In the United States, people go bankrupt trying to pay their medical bills due to a sickness or accident (I know, I have seen the bills), In Africa children are starving, lack medical attention and are dying….. and we (myself included) complain about wait times. Honestly, I’m embarrassed. I’m embarrassed for myself and for Canadians in general.
My children will never know the pain of hunger (again), they will get medicine when they are not feeling well, they will have dental surgery and have eye glasses if needed. These are things that as Canadians we have access to and take for granted every day. Although it is not a new year, I am going to try a mid-year resolution for myself. I am going to try not to take these things for granted. I am going to try to be aware every time I step into a doctor’s office, dental office or go to an eyeglass appointment that these situations will never happen to me because I live in this country.
http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/08/09/largest.refugee.camp/index.html
