"Minoo Shakibai sometimes wants to weep as she examines a patient’s
ulcerated feet. Many of the chiropodist’s clients are elderly and
diabetic. They come to the Dufferin Foot Clinic thinking she can fix the “small cuts” on their feet.
"In severe cases, she
sends them straight to the emergency department of the nearest hospital,
knowing the lesions are gangrenous. In less urgent circumstances, she
cleans and dresses their wounds and tells them to make an appointment
with their family doctor immediately. Most don’t. ...
"Too often, the young
chiropodist watches seniors — mostly Italian and Portuguese immigrants
from the neighbourhood — walk out the door, knowing they’ll eventually
face amputation.
"This month, she
launched a one-woman crusade to raise public awareness and get help for
seniors with no private health coverage. “They deserve to be taken care
of and treated right,” she appealed to then-MP Olivia Chow, who passed her entreaty on to Shakibai’s federal representative, Andrew Cash,
before launching her mayoral bid. He phoned Shakibai back and gently
explained that health-care services are a provincial responsibility,
promising to raise the issue with his counterpart at Queen’s Park, Jonah Schein.
"Shakibai doesn’t know
much about politics, as she readily admits. She has no allies or
advisers. She’s never spoken out before. But she can no longer remain
silent."
Fighting for help for voiceless seniors: Goar | Toronto Star
A classic case of "penny-wise, pound-foolish". If you've had a friend lose a foot because of an untreated ingrown toe-nail, it seems a no-brainer!
