Our health care isn’t ‘universal’
Back in 2007, doctors told Shirley Wakeling she had just a year to live.
She was diagnosed with an acute form of leukemia. But with the help of her doctors, husband Ron and twice-weekly platelet treatment, she’s hanging in.
Despite Shirley’s diagnosis, the couple maintains as normal a life as possible — shopping, gardening and so on — although Shirley needs to rest now and then.
Another key to her survival, says Ron, is a drug called Neupogen, prescribed to help boost white blood cell counts and fight infection.
Problem is, it’s expensive — more than $2,500 a month to meet Shirley’s needs.
So no problem, you’d think. We have the Ontario Drug Benefit Plan that pays for drugs for seniors.
Indeed, I thought “universal health care” meant just that. Silly me.
Neupogen was originally used for chemotherapy patients and that’s the only use ODBP funds.