Health is a gift, one of those qualities in life of great value which we assume will always be present. Wholeness in health includes physical, emotional and mental wellness as well as spiritual for its effect on body, soul and mind. God, who is our Healer, cares intimately for our body, soul and mind as well as the system of healthcare. Wholeness includes the spectrum of ages from unborn to the aged, of concern from public awareness to all the varying challenges in health and the dying. We have a belief in Saskatchewan of equal opportunity for wellness and access to healthcare. One cannot buy health and on the other hand, can one refuse to provide health care because of money?

The severity of the depression of the ‘30s formulated the basis for our present day health care model. During these harsh years, the co-operative way of living became a survival method when there simply wasn’t enough to meet individuals’ needs. Out of our lean years when people discovered there was no substantial relationship between income and enjoyment of life, Tommy C. Douglas, a Baptist minister, recognized that community responsibility was necessary even when money was not available. Birthed out of dire straits, medicare became a model in Saskatchewan that led healthcare in Canada and became a model unique in the world.

In our present day, there are huge challenges facing our health care system. Our province changed as many moved from the farm and towns to the cities necessitating huge resourcefulness. One of the most controversial changes to the rural communities has been the closure of hospitals to become treatment centers and senior care homes. There are a high number of seniors in our towns but we are also now seeing a new trend of young families moving back to towns.

Northern communities also have specific needs to meet standards of health care and availability. The expanded role of the nurse has largely been the provision for treatment with medical teams rotating through centres. As northerners are trained for roles in health care they bring back greater understanding of health challenges unique to the north. Some of the possibilities being looked at are family wellness centres which incorporate addiction and parenting issues in the community utilizing family structure such as elders. Our highways and availability of first responders, even air ambulance can transport those needing acute care to larger centres with specialized facilities.

Perhaps the greatest present day hurdle is access into the system itself. Waiting lists for procedures, availability of physicians and organizational ruts all contribute to a system which seems to serve the provider before the patient. While the medical care in the province is excellent, the ability to access specialized care within a reasonable time limit can be troublesome. There have been some excellent reviews done to address this issue at what is a waste to time and money and essential in critical reorganizing. But the appetite for change is a challenge to many when they find their health threatened and in a place requiring immediate care.

One can address specific aspects of the healthcare crisis we are presently in but there is another way to engage in the discussion with a view from a God who cares deeply for His children. Compassion has been a core value of many in the healthcare profession, with a goal to reflect the heart of Father God who is moved by the helpless and suffering. The advocacy role to protect, to empower and to intervene motivate many to serve their fellow human beings but often they themselves feel stuck in the machinery of healthcare, caught between expectation and efficiency for their clients.

If those who work in any aspect of healthcare, who know God and are called by His Name each “own” the space they work in to bring His light into the area they have influence, we would see a profound change for the better. If God’s people would pray for those who make decisions in each health district, on health boards, hospital boards and administration would we not see wisdom released for each challenge, creativity and grace for solving each problem? If salt has lost its flavour, it is useless and so are we if we do not carry the light of His presence as salt.

We serve a God who has strategic answers, wisdom and understanding of our times. As we look to Him on behalf of those who have authority, we will see His creativity at work. Saskatchewan’s health quality counsel is excellent, the first province to have such a counsel and leading the country in this aspect. As God’s people take position at the healthcare gate as ones who pray with authority, deciding what is allowed in and what cannot enter, we will pray for earthly counsel to be influenced by heavenly wisdom and authority.