Canada's flu pandemic plan: Communist style outrage?

Surprize surprize, the far Left a-holes in the Canadian public health establishment (and no kidding, I know some of these guys and they are Chairman Mao Pink) has created a "plan" for dealing with a flu pandemic that falls somewhat short in the morality category.  Story today in the National Post.

Canada's official pandemic plan all but ignores the ethical dilemmas authorities likely will face over who will get help from ''overwhelmed'' medical services, warns a new study of the plan.

The paper by a medical ethicist recommends the government issue public estimates about the human cost of possible scarcities of equipment, drugs and personnel in a mass epidemic.

The study also says Canadians need to be better informed about public health measures that, during such an emergency, "could be as severe as if the nation were engaged in war.''

Ok, but what does that mean?  Example:

The plans imply that medical resources will be in short supply. The Canadian document, for instance, says authorities should consider how to manage patients in respiratory distress when oximeters, ventilators and other breathing-support gear "must be rationed."

Meaning the local hospital has maybe a maximum of 20 ventillator units available, even if they confiscate all private units from rental companies and press obsolete junk into service as well.  There's going to be a shitload more than 20 people need a vent.  Who gets one?  Joe Average ain't going to get one, rest assured.

Therefore, wouldn't it be smart for the government run healthcare monopoly to put aside some needed gear for just-in-case?  What about Tamiflu?

Canada has stockpiled 16 million doses of the pill, said [Health Minister] Dosanjh, enough to treat seniors and other vulnerable groups.

In a country with 29 million people, and given the course of treatment is probably something like 20 doses per patient (two pills a day for ten days, but I just pulled that out thin air it could be more or less), 16 million pills isn't as much as you think it is.  That's meds for less than a million people.  Kids, the poor and the elderly will be left to die, while people needed to keep the infrastructure going will be given the meds.  That's lead-pipe obvious, in a pandemic you have to keep food, water, fuel and electricity going or people freeze/starve/die wholesale.  This is Canada, not Florida.  Winter will kill you a lot faster than the flu will.

Problem, Mr. Dosanjh isn't telling anybody this.  He's pretending everything is ok, and he's flatly lying about who's going to get treated if it all hits the fan.

How about health care workers?  What's going to happen there?  Hmm?  Remeber SARS, where they hung the nurses out to die?  Go treat the incredibly infectious fatal disease honey, no we don't have a biohazard suit for you sorry about that hurry along now.  We still don't have biohazard suits.  Really.  Ask any nurse if they've even been trained on them.  Ask any cop or fireman if he's ever even seen one for that matter.  The gear is not being purchased, period.

Dr. Kotalik said the plans do not sufficiently address the sacrifices that will be expected of health care workers during a pandemic. It is disturbing, he said, that so few of the workers know about the plans, considering how much will be required of them.

Planners need to recruit contingency workers and volunteers, stockpile protective gear and drugs for health staff and make plans to address workers' personal and family needs, he said. A public education campaign on the pandemic plan is also required to build public trust, given the quarantines and other measures anticipated by experts.

Any plans on how to feed the poor bastards under quarantine?  Who brings them food?  From where?  Paid for with what money?  Does the deliver guy get a mask, or does he dump the box and run while hoping for the best?    What to do with the uncooperative who won't stay in quarantine, jail 'em?  Where?  How many cops you got?  Who feeds the infected schmucks in jail?  Do they get a mask?  Nobody knows.

My basic objection to all this is that if I'm going to pay half my income in taxes, which I am, and if I'm forbidden from BUYING private health care, which I am, then maybe the Federal government should be stepping up to the plate to make some stockpiles of stuff they know damn well we are going to need sooner or later.  Like rubber gloves?  But they are not.  They are instead making semi-secret plans to sacrifice my ass to the Greater Good of Canada.

I don't think I should be expected to sit still for that, frankly.  Its Communism at its absolute worst, and we can do better than that.  But not with Mr. Dithers and PMPM and Dosanjh as Health Minister, that seems certain.  Election now, please!

The Isolated Phantom