Health Care Connect - you'll get a doctor before you die (maybe)

Two years ago I signed on to Ontario's Health Care Connect, a service by the Ontario government that helps people who don't have a doctor find one.

Two years later I'm still getting letters from them saying "Your Care Connector is still working to find an available family health care provider in your area and will contact you as soon as one becomes available."

And government wonders why tax payers generally feel that government is nothing but a black hole filled with pointless programs that do nothing except spend money to accomplish nothing.

I mean, if you can't find me a doctor after two years then what good is the program? Is anyone even really looking? Or is everyone who signs up to Health Care Connect basically just tossed in some database that is programmed to send out a "We're still working for you..." letter every six months?

Now, I found a great doctor a year ago, but it's through a walk-in clinic, so it's not the same as a dedicated private practice doctor (which is ok with me because my doctor is awesome and I rarely go to the doctor anyway).

I haven't taken myself off the Health Care Connect list because technically I don't actually have a dedicated doctor. I'm also interested to see if they ever actually find me one.

I think in 10, 20, 30 years from now I'll still be getting letters saying "We're still working for you..." because the database will still be sending out automated responses. Heck, I'd be willing to bet that even after I die one day the database will still be spitting out letters to me.

From a PR perspective this makes the Ontario government look utterly incompetent. What is the point of starting a program if it cannot achieve its mandate? We all know the answer to that... it's good PR to look like you are taking some kind of action.

Except, it becomes bad PR when it becomes clear you are doing nothing.

I feel sorry for anyone that signs up to Health Care Connect and actually waits for their assistance. Get up and go find a doctor yourself, because if you are waiting for Health Care Connect to call you, you'll be waiting a very long time.

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