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Why Is Tommy Douglass Important To Canada

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Years ago, CBC hosted a series where they gave an opportunity to all Canadians to come and vote for who they think is the Greatest Canadian of all time. The winner of that series was undoubtedly Tommy Douglas, the father of uncountable benefits we enjoy today. Douglas was born on October 20, 1904 and he is responsible for many privileges and benefits we enjoy today as Canadians. Douglas is the greatest Canadian because he introduced first ever universally accessible medical plan in all of North America, he enforced equality in society for all by creating the first Bill of Rights for Canada and he made the life of an average Canadian better than what it was like in the 30’s.

Douglas is the greatest Canadian because he made sure that no one …show more content…

Doctors advised that he should have his leg surgically removed. His parents had no money for such a costly operation. But, luckily a specialist offered to perform a surgery on his leg if he allowed his students to watch it. This surgery saved Tommy’s life and was the very moment that inspired him to come up with universally accessible medical care. He knew instantly that just like him there are others who would undergo the same situation. Many families would lose their loved ones because they don’t have the money to get medical treatment. Therefore, he started to put every effort towards introducing the first ever universally accessible medical plan in North America. He not only had the thought of having a centralized health care system but he did his best to bring people a more efficient health plan than what was offered by private health-care insurers, so that common citizens could really benefit from it. When he became the Health Minister in 1944, during the first term of his government he took the first steps towards the Medicare program he dreamed for. Major advances were made in the first 2 years despite much opposition from province physicians and private health-care insurance companies. He still made major advancement which included free

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