Fifty years after the date of my landing in Almonte, I have coincidentally switched physicians, both of whom emigrated from Africa. My erstwhile physician has now joined the ranks of the retired. Though I understand my new physician, Dr. Kayode Bamigbola, is of the paediatric persuasion as opposed to the geriatric inclination, he has already proven himself capable of catching up with my aged decomposition. He’s a young “family man” with obvious P&V. In any event, with what I understand is the current limitation upon readily securing medical advice, I have no intention of disturbing the existing alliance. And as a matter of historic account, I thought there might be some value in recording my experience in the popular model.

Once one is conjoined to a particular physician, the next structure of importance is the hospital with which one is primarily associated. We qualify here in Almonte as a country hospital; namely, an institution nearby and conveniently accessible in a rural location. Only recently the hospital parking lot has been converted to a Pay Per Use lot. There are about five handicap lots clustered on the perimeter of the parking lot while several more are located precisely at the front entrance.  Both collections are manageable. There are naturally limitations upon the scope of immediate surgery.

Upon entering through the front door of the Ottawa Valley Family Health Team (not far from the Emergency and main door entrances for the Almonte General Hospital), there are 2-3 windows behind which are staff members to initiate one’s arrival (involving name, physician and Health Card identity).  Historically I haven’t had to wait long before being summoned by the nurse.  Often the waiting room is occupied by others whom one knows, so congenial conversation frequently ensues.

The trip with the nurse down the hallway from the waiting room to the medical office can be short or long depending on varying circumstances and intentions.  Normally the first duty of investigation is blood pressure diagnostics. The subsequent arrival of the physician begins the work of the moment. Naturally the issue of cost or choice of remedies never surfaces within a personal financial context. By contrast to my last visit to an independent physician’s office in Florida, the meeting with my physician here is not automatically conjoined with a loan advisor.

In anticipation of my visit to the doctor’s office, I have made a short list of items for review. A hurried glimpse at the list invites one simple retort: Old age, get over it! I will however go through the mechanic of grilling my physician for whatever remedy I can. For the most part I correspond to the improving position that my health is my physician’s concern, not mine. Although this sounds flippant, I prefer to see it merely as an acknowledgment that there is likely nothing I can do or say to control or improve my diagnoses so the matter is overall best left to those who can.

It was not until 2007 that I elevated my involvement with physicians to more than a routine annual visit and prod. That occasion was my date for unscheduled and precipitous open-heart surgery, being cut like a lobster. Since then it has been downhill, repeated similar catastrophe, the commencement of the unflattering diary of medical appointments for checkups, blood tests, X-rays, etc. Indeed even as recently as several days ago we’ve manipulated medical procedure with summer vacation. In short, the medical stuff contaminates everything we now do. And there are times when we speculate the only matters on our diary are medical appointments.

What is on the horizon for the improvement of medical service in Ontario is anyone’s guess. My estimate is that Canadians are overall convinced that universal health care is the goal. Separating oneself from purely commercial goals, the objective is characterized as an infrastructure issue. I am hopeful that health care, highways, drainage and grids will continue to occupy our government. Extricating oneself from the American vernacular is always in the rearview mirror. The American medical system – in spite of its many accomplishments – has also its numerous challenges and notable discredited history. Hopefully we as Canadians will avoid descending into the absurdity of alleged disparaging socialism or communism to translate universal healthcare to a private capital venture for a select few.