Regarding the letter from Tom Fix in the July 20 issue of the Snoqualmie Valley Record, Mr. Fix probably has not lived in small-town Canada in recent times.

In the large cities, such as Vancouver, Victoria, Calgary, etc., the Canadian system works, sort of. In the smaller cities and towns there is basic health coverage, but any procedure that is more than broken bones, cuts or minor surgery requires a trip to a large city hospital, if they have space. This travel is at the patient’s expense. In many instances, the distances are measured in hundreds of miles. For some corrective procedures, even some life critical, there are waiting periods of over 24 months.

Of course there is the continuing problem of the doctors or nurses or administrators going on strike every so often to demand all sorts of things. These labor actions shut down the health system. When a Canadian wants to have some medical procedure that the patient feels is important, they either come to the United States or find a Canadian doctor that will do the procedure for a fee.

The grass is not greener north of the border when it comes to providing quality health care. We have the best in the world.

Fred Bereswill

Carnation