Pat Atkinson: raising the finger and turning healthcare to a gambling casino

Pat Atkinson:

raising the finger and turning healthcare to a gambling casino

By Mario deSantis, February 4, 2000

The saga of the mismanagement of healthcare resources continues to demand more and more

check where the wind is blowing, work from our autocratic politicians and bureaucrats. Without a vision to provide a consistent

direction for allocating our resources, our politicians and bureaucrats raise their fingers to the

sky, check where the wind is blowing, and as a consequence they make decisions. Their

obsession in saving money rather than taking care of people, has caused this government to

be out of touch with the people and create a chronic environment of confusion where more

money is wasted, and where the few and privileged help themselves to become richer at the

expense of others.

Few weeks ago, a patient died at a Weyburn hospital while he was waiting for being

shortage of beds as a factor contributing to the death of this patient transferred to a Regina hospital⁽¹⁾. Rather than acknowledge the shortage of beds as a

factor contributing to the death of this patient, Pat Atkinson, Minister of Health, stated

that the patient was not transferred to Regina because his doctors failed to clearly indicate

the urgency of the case. Again, last Christmas Eve, a North Battleford man died while

waiting for emergency surgery⁽²⁾. In this case, the emergency surgery was not performed

since the Battlefords Health District closed the ICU unit for the period December 16 to

January 2 because of a nursing shortage.

she cannot assure that all existing Saskatchewan hospitals will remain open Again, a shortage of nursing staff has caused a shortage of beds, and a shortage of beds

has caused the death of another patient. Talking to the delegates of the Saskatchewan Urban

Municipalities Association (SUMA) convention in Regina, Pat Atkinson has stated that the

government is facing tighter budgets and she cannot assure that all existing Saskatchewan

hospitals will remain open⁽³⁾.

As more patients are dying because of a shortage of beds, as staff is being intimidated at our

our health care system resembles a gambling casino hospitals⁽⁴⁾, and as people are becoming more anxious because of Pat Atkinson's intention to

cut additional hospital beds, the more our health care system resembles a gambling casino

where our politicians play games with our lives. Again and again we will see our politicians

and bureaucrats raising their fingers to the sky while we wait anxiously for the next multiple

directions in health care. I have nothing to say but exclaim "Bad Luck in your gambling

Honourable Pat Atkinson.!"

-------------Endnotes:

1.
Pat Atkinson: blaming the doctors for the deaths of patients, by Mario deSantis, January 17, 2000

2.
-
Gov't launches review into death, by Jason Warick, The StarPhoenix, February 3, 2000, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

3.
-
Future uncertain for rural hospitals: closure possible because of tight budgets, Atkinson, by Neil Scott, The StarPhoenix, February 3, 2000, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

4.
Intimidation: Management style at Saskatoon District Health, by Mario deSantis, January 27, 2000

Pat Atkinson: raising the finger and turning healthcare to a gambling casino
*By Mario deSantis, February 4, 2000*

	The saga of the mismanagement of healthcare resources continues to demand more and more
check where the wind is blowing,	work from our autocratic politicians and bureaucrats. Without a vision to provide a consistent
	direction for allocating our resources, our politicians and bureaucrats raise their fingers to the
	sky, check where the wind is blowing, and as a consequence they make decisions. Their
	obsession in saving money rather than taking care of people, has caused this government to
	be out of touch with the people and create a chronic environment of confusion where more
	money is wasted, and where the few and privileged help themselves to become richer at the
	expense of others.

	Few weeks ago, a patient died at a Weyburn hospital while he was waiting for being
shortage of beds as a factor contributing to the death of this patient	transferred to a Regina hospital⁽¹⁾. Rather than acknowledge the shortage of beds as a
	factor contributing to the death of this patient, Pat Atkinson, Minister of Health, stated
	that the patient was not transferred to Regina because his doctors failed to clearly indicate
	the urgency of the case. Again, last Christmas Eve, a North Battleford man died while
	waiting for emergency surgery⁽²⁾. In this case, the emergency surgery was not performed
	since the Battlefords Health District closed the ICU unit for the period December 16 to
	January 2 because of a nursing shortage.

she cannot assure that all existing Saskatchewan hospitals will remain open	Again, a shortage of nursing staff has caused a shortage of beds, and a shortage of beds
	has caused the death of another patient. Talking to the delegates of the Saskatchewan Urban
	Municipalities Association (SUMA) convention in Regina, Pat Atkinson has stated that the
	government is facing tighter budgets and she cannot assure that all existing Saskatchewan
	hospitals will remain open⁽³⁾.

	As more patients are dying because of a shortage of beds, as staff is being intimidated at our
our health care system resembles a gambling casino	hospitals⁽⁴⁾, and as people are becoming more anxious because of Pat Atkinson's intention to
	cut additional hospital beds, the more our health care system resembles a gambling casino
	where our politicians play games with our lives. Again and again we will see our politicians
	and bureaucrats raising their fingers to the sky while we wait anxiously for the next multiple
	directions in health care. I have nothing to say but exclaim "Bad Luck in your gambling
	Honourable Pat Atkinson.!"

-------------Endnotes:

1.	Pat Atkinson: blaming the doctors for the deaths of patients, by Mario deSantis, January 17, 2000

2. -	Gov't launches review into death, by Jason Warick, The StarPhoenix, February 3, 2000, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

3. -	Future uncertain for rural hospitals: closure possible because of tight budgets, Atkinson, by Neil Scott, The StarPhoenix, February 3, 2000, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

4.	Intimidation: Management style at Saskatoon District Health, by Mario deSantis, January 27, 2000