Can we develop wait lists for public health issues?

摘要

Wait lists have gained sharp prominence within the landscape of health care issues. Stories and statistics of how the common citizen has suffered and sometimes died while waiting for surgical and other medical procedures are legion, and they describe a failure of the health care system in a way that is easy to understand and that demands prompt and definitive attention. However, there are also wait lists for public health services, and they rarely receive attention. These wait lists involve populations of citizens who have to wait (and sometimes die waiting) for clean water, adequate housing, safe transportation, and preventive and primary health care. For example, the wait times for sewage treatment facilities and potable water in some Northern Aboriginal communities run to 10 or more years, and there is no doubt that many people have suffered during that period.