Jason MacGregor a youth candidate in the Prince Edward Island based political party, the Island Party, has suggested a creative and unique solution to the shortage of doctors the Maritime province is facing. His proposal is to trade P.E.I. potatoes (the cash crop of the island) for Cuban doctors.

“Our idea is to put in place a trade agreement between Cuba and P.E.I., where we’ll send them so many potatoes in exchange for enough doctors to reopen our ER in Souris.”

– Jason MacGregor, Island Party candidate

Since 2006 P.E.I. has suffered a lack of doctors prompting the closure the emergency room at their local hospital in Souris-Elmira. This has been repeated scene throughout the Maritime provinces since the 2008 global economic collapse of capitalism. The trend, also fuelled by Federal Conservative Party budget cuts, has made the health care situation worse for the average Canadian.

The proposed plan would be beneficial to both P.E.I. and Cuba. P.E.I. is facing a severe doctor shortage and Cuba is facing a shortage of potatoes. Already Cuba has similar deals set up with other nations like Venezuela, with whom they exchange doctors and nurses for much needed oil resources. Cuban health professionals are also known for their dedication to helping the poor around the world by volunteering to go tot he most destitute locations around the world to help those with out access to medical care.

Unfortunately for the citizens of Prince Edward Island, the Canadian government would never allow such a deal to be made. Actually reaching out to Cuba for help would be too much of a loss of face for the political establishment. Particularly to a ruling Conservative government.

Many on the right wing claim that it is Canada’s social democratic system that is causing the shortage of doctors, a common claim made by “lazy fair” capitalism supporters. However, they fail to notice that there is no lack of doctors in an actual socialist country. They actually have enough excess medical care to give to others.

Source:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/peivotes2011/story/2011/09/28/pei-cuba-potatoes-doctor-trade-584.html