A recent report indicates that Canada’s health-care system is not meeting the standards set by other countries with universal health care.
Based on data from 2022, the report reveals that Canada ranks poorly in several areas. It is ranked 28 out of 30 for the availability of doctors, 25 out of 30 for the number of hospital beds and psychiatric beds, and low for the availability of technology with a rank of 27 out of 31 for MRI machines and 28 out of 31 for CT scanners per million people.
Canada also faces long wait times compared to other countries, as highlighted in the report. When compared to nine other countries with universal health care, Canada ranks second to last for patients waiting more than a month to see a specialist and has the highest percentage of patients waiting two months or longer for non-emergency surgery.
The report also addresses the financial aspect of Canada’s health-care system, noting that the country spends more than most OECD countries with universal health care systems. Canada ranks fourth for the highest health care expenditure as a percentage of GDP and ninth for the highest health care expenditure per capita among the 31 countries evaluated.
Overall, the report highlights the need for improvements in Canada’s health-care system to ensure better value for the money spent and higher quality of care for its citizens.
