The recent letter to the editor by Anthonie den Boef is frightening that someone could have those beliefs.
I was a young girl before our current healthcare system came into effect. I remember being sick, as was my brother.
Mom would take him to the doctor then share his medication with me as we couldn’t afford two doctor visits. Sound ignorant? Poor? Or just the best she could do?
Having two medical systems — public (government paid) and private — does not encourage the training of more doctors. The current doctors just drop out of the public system. Den Boef is very fortunate to believe he can afford his care.
Many people with serious problems that require frequent medical visits (diabetes, heart problems, high blood pressure, cancer and many other health issues) could not afford to pay privately for that.
Already some seniors don’t get their prescriptions filled or only take half or a third of the dosage because of the cost.
A single person in the U.S. who pays for private insurance to cover some but not all of their medical is paying (even under Obamacare) upwards of $500/month per person.
This doctor shortage is pretty much worldwide and a simple change to user-pay-more privately is not a fix.
Norma ReimerParksville