September 19, 2016
Tyson Koschik
cbc.ca
Overview:
Winnipeg cancer patient, Colin Kennedy, made the headlines on CBC on September 19th when he filled a parking meter with spray foam outside of his hospital to protest against parking fees. He believes that the hospital shouldn't charge its patients, their loved ones, or caregivers for parking. He argues that, according to the bill of rights published in 2003, “patients should not have to worry about the burden of natural situations when accessing to health care buildings and that, because of this, charging for parking is against that law.”
Kennedy has had various myelomas since 1999. He explained to the media that his cancer deteriorated in last fall and, due to this, he had to stay in hospital for over a month. When his mother visited him while he was there, she spent almost 600 dollars on parking fees alone. Kennedy said, "They're not thinking about the meters for most of the time, but when they do start to think about it, it's the most stressful thing in the entire process. You're forced to stop and think about the parking meter before you think about your loved one. There's an injustice in that."
When CBC first posted this story, Kennedy had already gathered 117 signatures on a petition he had created, which cites both the Canada Health Act and Ontario's Patients' Bill of Rights. Just one day after, he gained an additional 527 signatures, which is far more than enough to change the parking policies according to the government. The petition suggests keeping the parking meter, while finding a way to identify the patients and their loved ones' vehicles and keep them free of charge. Winnipeg Mp Robert-Falcon Quellette also signed the petition. He agrees that parking fees might give patients a harder time accessing health care. The petition has already been handed in to the house of commons, and the government will have 45 days to respond.
The petition that has more than 100 signatures
Opinion:
Kennedy is right to call attention to this serious issue of parking fees, because this is a very controversial yet serious problem in Canada, that can impact patients and others' life regarding on financial aspects. There was a previous report of a hospital in Montreal who lowered its parking price due to complaints, proving that this isn’t a case that is new, many other overpriced hospitals are proliferated and directly obstructing families or individuals. Therefore, an increasing number of population choose to park in a further parking lot, to cut down parking expenses. This shows how expensive it is to park in the hospital's own parking lot. However, doing so can get very risky for certain patients that require immediate attention, such as a sudden heart attack or a stroke. The increasing distance causes the loss of time for treatments. The time might be brief, but the consequences are unpredictable.
Even though Kennedy proposed such a beneficial petition, his action to boycott the parking meter could also be criticized. The act of vandalism on a public property should not be tolerated since it's also something that has costs. Kennedy’s action doesn’t only questioning government’s revenue in hospital parking, but might also imply the generally high expenses in the hospital. Such as the cost from light injuries. For instance, I had a bone fracture on my wrist, and a single splint for the wrist costs around 30 dollars. The government should really rethink their profits from the medical industry and focus more on serving the population with the basic care they need without worrying about any other factors.
On the other hand, removing parking fees might be way to extreme as in dealing with overpriced parking. I believe that the most appropriate way to start is reducing parking price, and categorize and label the amount of time stayed and price, for instance, shorter time such as half an hour should be charged the most, and staying in for couple of days or months should be automatically free for the patients and their love ones who visit.
In conclusion, the government should be taking a seriously good look at this petition. As the MP that signed the petition wrote, "In certain places [in Canada], there are extensive fees, not even nominal fees, sometimes it's $25 to park in some of the hospitals in this country. And that is really a barrier."
Civics Blog Success Criteria
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Success Criteria
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I have reviewed many headlines and articles and I have chosen one that permits me to answer many prompt questions and discuss pertinent issues related to our course content and society.
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I have ensured that both of my sections are complete and meet the minimum expectations for content.
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I have paraphrased and used direct quotations, cited properly, from the entire original article to ensure I have conveyed the author's content/intentions in my own words.
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I have taken a stand on the issue, but respectfully and empathetically explained multiple perspectives towards the issue.
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I have used the prompt questions to help enhance my opinion and make original suggestions about possible solutions to the issue or relationships that exist between my story and other issues in society.
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I have edited my article for spelling and grammar and ensured that each item is formatted properly.
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Mark
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Level 4 (10-9)
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Required Elements (K/U, A):
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