Put the emphasis on prevention

Posted on April 17, 2009 in Health Debates

TheStar.com – Opinion – Put the emphasis on prevention
April 17, 2009

Re: Insatiable health sector always wants more money, April 14

According to the CDC and the Canadian Diabetes Association, diabetes is growing like a “runaway train” and this disease and its implications (heart disease, kidney disease, blindness, amputations) is the biggest contributor to our increase in health care costs.

According to the Harvard School of Public Health, 92 per cent of diabetes cases could be avoided with proper diet and exercise.

Rather than wring our hands about the ever-increasing costs of health care, the Star (which printed an excellent series on diabetes last year) and the Ontario government should be focusing on preventing diseases like diabetes rather than struggling to fund more doctors and hospital beds.

Michael D. Smith, Oakville

If we want universal health care, and I do, we need to improve the efficiency of delivery and pay for it. The answer is the GST. It’s the one tax that can and will grow with the need to fund ongoing health care costs. For “transparency,” why not designate a few percentage points for health care. Let’s have an honest debate on how to fund it and not leave another mess for our kids.

George R. Will, Midland

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