Parallels between problems

With BBC news story “Boeing played Russian roulette with people’s lives” on the FAA approval for the Boeing 737 MAX to fly again, there are stark similarities Boeing experienced to cause the unsafe plane being built and flown with our long term care system; Canada’s Boeing 737 MAX. There are terrifyingly similarities; worker burnout, management, executives, board rooms and government. The story quoted “compliant” fault.

When will those in charge find the courage to actually fix the long term care system? Long term care workers are burnt out, asked to do more and more with less and less, just do “basic medically necessary duties and care”. Where is the humanity and dignity in that? All the while there’s an unacknowledged but very obvious problem on Canada’s long term care production factory floor. Money drives both; corporate greed in different costumes, our long term care system and Boeing 737 MAX.

Boeing had to be forced to confront and fix their shortcomings and errors. Forced! The same must be done with Canada’s long term care system. Innocents are dying. Families are grieving. The reality is ignored or explained away in bureaucratic and/or political double-talk . The system has been broken for decades. COVID 19 caused the system to implode much like the defective software on the Boeing 737 MAX. Took hundreds of deaths and declined flight worthiness certification for Boeing to wake up. In Canada, thousands have died because of our long term care system shortcomings. Where is the outrage? Why is there no accountability? Why are health units permitted and even encouraged to ignore public and employee criticism of system faults and/or dereliction of duty? Even threats are made; for 5 years plus I’ve personally experienced them with regard to long term care just as many Boeing employees when pointing out issues and faults.

So, who is going to be brave enough and stop our long term care carnage now? Fix the issues! Don’t study them, we know the issues just as Boeing did. We need compassion, leadership, authority, and money yesterday to fix the problem. I don’t see any of that anywhere in Canada today. Lots of promises but nothing concrete. Tommy Douglas, the acknowledged “father” of Canada’s healthcare system must be weeping. Canada’s Boeing 737 MAX crashes continue unabated in real time.

Patrick Olenick, West Kelowna