Health-prevention is what counts in Canada

I have been living in Canada for the last two years. By this time, I have spent two summers and two falls. I came across the beautiful scene while travelling during fall season. The simplicity of a colourful maple leaf in a sun beam personifies exactly how it feels to be a proud Canadian.
Before my arrival in Canada, my Indian-Canadian friend with whom I worked in Hamburg Aircraft Manufacturing Company in Germany about 40 years back told me that I would have a ten years' long life if I would be in Canada. I thought it was just a joke as he was pointing to the average lifespan of Canadians (that is, 81 years) whereas in Bangladesh it is only 57 years.
But it was not just a joke when after landing in Canada I came across this experience by myself. After landing there, we had to look for a family doctor as everything about healthcare is rooted through him or her. The family doctor will send you to specialist (if applicable).
As a senior citizen, I had to go through a thorough medical check-up. I was lucky to get a family doctor who is a German-Canadian. My relatives and Bangladeshi friends always joke about it. I always prefer to get in touch with Germans as I had spent 7 years In Germany to complete my engineering degree including two years' job with Lufthansa.
Let me brief you a little bit of healthcare system in Canada. Each province has its own policy and guideline for healthcare. Canada's natural health insurance programme, often referred to as 'Medicare', is designed to ensure that all residents have reasonable access to medically necessary hospital and physician services on a prepaid basis.
Role and responsibilities of Canada's healthcare system are shared between the federal and provincial governments. The provincial government is responsible for  management, organisation and delivery of  health services for their residents. Health Canada believes that prevention and health promotion can hold healthcare costs down and improve quality of life in the long run. The mission and vision of Health Canada are for Canada to be among the countries with the healthiest people in the world.
During my routine check, my family doctor Dr. Rueffer sent me for a chest X-ray. Here in Canada, X-ray is done by imaging. So there is no need to carry the X-ray plates.
After two days, I got the call from him and he told me that there is a spot in my chest. So he sent me for CT Scan to the Waterloo Hospital. Again, after two days, he informed me that there is nothing wrong in my chest, but there is a spot in my kidney. So he referred me to a kidney specialist - Urologist. This urologist came from Russia and after seeing CT Scan, he told me that I have a tumour in the kidney. He told me that he is not a specialist for partial removal. He then sent me to another urologist in London, Ontario. London, Ontario is about 11/2 hour drive from Waterloo.
I met the doctor in London. After examining me, he told me that he needs another CT Scan in St. Joseph Hospital in London, Ontario. Next week, I went to see this doctor who showed the tumour. This doctor whose name is Dr Pautler is a specialist in urology and an expert of partial removal of the kidney.
He told me that as long as I am healthy, I should go for surgery as early as possible. The complication will arise after 5 years when the blood will flow through the urine. Dr Pautler suggested me that he would do this surgery at London University Hospital where the latest medical equipments and instruments are there. I found that London University Hospital is one of the best in Canada.
I was waiting for a call from this urologist's clinic. The call came and I was told to report to London University Hospital for briefing before surgery. On that briefing day, the nurses revived my health history, current medication and normal activity. Blood, ECG and X-ray were done. I was told not to eat or drink anything after midnight the night before the surgery and also told to clear bowel as clean as possible in order to reduce the chances of infection after surgery. Then the nurse handed over to me the 'Patient Information' all about my surgery (pre and post-surgery).
The type of treatment that I and my doctor have chosen is called a Nephrectomy and in my case, it is partial removal of the affected part of the kidney. On the day of surgery, I went to the hospital reception at 6 a.m. From there, a nurse took me to a special room where I wore a patient's gown and also put on TED stockings. What is this TED stockings. It is a thigh-high stockings that helps bring the blood back up to the heart while the patient's movement is restricted during and after surgery. Is it not a new thing? But a Bangladeshi doctor friend told me that they have this also in Bangladesh's hospitals.
Anyway, as I was preparing to wear the stocking, the anesthesiologist came to me and asked me what sort of anesthetic will be given to me. I had no idea of PCA (Patient Control Analgesia) and chose that.
My partial kidney surgery took a long 41/2 hours. When I woke up after surgery, I never felt that I had gone through a long surgery. On my request, my entire family came to PACU room to see me and after that I was transferred to the hospital room.
I was treated in the hospital like a VIP. After my arrival at the hospital room, immediately a nurse came to me and introduced herself. A nurse works in the hospital from 7.30 am to 7.30 pm and another starts duty from 7.30 pm to 7.30 am. She works on toes. Next day after the surgery, I was walking in the hallway with the help of the nurse. I was drinking water only on that day. The next day, the dietician came and told me how she would plan my food intake. On 2nd day, I was given juice only and after drinking that, I started to vomit. I became a little nervous. But the nurse brought immediately some medicines and gave me. I became all right. How wonderful it was.
Dr. Pautler, the urologist used to come and see me. He told me that I was doing fine with my blood work and he found positive sign of healing the wound. By the way, I learnt to say the pain by number from 0 to 10. The number 10 is the highest number for severe pain. Each morning at 6 am, a team of three urologists would come and wake me up. Their team leader would brief me about the status of my health and was expecting date for discharge. Many gadgets were round me. On the 4th day, I was discharged and they handed over me with discharge instructions.
Visitors are always welcome. There is no time limit. They say that visitors are important to the patients. Just wash your hands before entering a patient's room and when leaving the room. Alcohol-based hand rubs are available throughout the hospital (not like in our country taking the shoe off).
My main aim is not to tell people about my surgery, but to inform all how much we (in Bangladesh) are behind and backward in healthcare. I had the experience to stay a night at New York Hospital, USA during my flying career with Biman Bangladesh Airlines. It was miserable.
The standard of London University Hospital could be compared with that of Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore. But you have to pay a huge amount of money in Singapore, whereas in Canada you don't have to.
I am indeed indebted to Healthcare Canada. That is why, I agree with my Indian-Canadian friend that I will remain healthy living in Canada. The 'health-prevention' is what  counts in Canada and of course, another phrase -'Caring for you '.
--The writer, a retired DC10 Flt Engineer of Biman Bangladesh Airlines, now resides in Waterloo, Canada.
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