In New Zealand, waiting for surgery has become a hot topic of debate and there are stories of people on the waiting list for years together and also of being bumped off the list altogether.
Private health insurance is a costly option and not everyone can afford or have it.
The health system is struggling to meet the demand for surgeries.
However I am really puzzled as to why these surgeries are called "elective surgeries". No one elects to have a surgery unless it is plastic surgery to improve ones features. All other surgeries are forced upon people because of their medical/sick conditions and they all should get treatment immediately. Otherwise what is the health system there for? It appears that they are practising some sort of "selective surgery", making people wait till they cant bear the pain of their ailment or till they become life-threatening. Not a healthy state of affairs.
I understand it is all because of lack of enough medical practitioners, surgeons, nurses, hospital facilities, etc. But the long-term solution for that would be to promote medical education more widely and if necessary to start few more Universities devoted to medicine and nursing education. I am sure the private sector and even overseas educational institutions would welcome such an investment opportunity. Which incidentally may also divert funds from the residential housing sector, which the Reserve Bank is trying to cool down.
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It's called 'elective surgery' because you elect to have it (i.e. you have an option not to have surgery and/or undergo alternative treatment....which people do opt for occasionally). I agree that being on a waiting list is awful, but it's very hard to give everyone instant treatment, and I would like to think I am being put on hold (with yes, discomfort to myself) because there was someone in a life or death situation who needed immediate attention. Of course I would expect to be treated at some stage and not have to wait foreever. And bumping people off the lists is not on, unless there's a valid reason. But that's where I would depend on my GP/hospital doctor clearly assessing my situation, and how critical it is for me to have surgery on the correct date.
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