Thirty-five patients being treated  in hallways at 性视界传媒 Memorial Hospital.

What happened? Did a train crash? An earthquake hit? Disease outbreak? Some other kind of disaster?

Well, yes and no.

No, there was no earthquake, train crash or epidemic.

Yes, there was, and is, a disaster: the current state of Canada鈥檚 health care system.

In a country that takes great national pride in its universal health care, harkening back to the days of Tommy Douglas, the legendary Canadian politician likely didn鈥檛 envision future major hospitals stuffing patients into hallways like some kind of M.A.S.H unit.

in this week's issue of the Now presents a sorry account of patients being left in beds in hallways, after seeking help at SMH.

The BC Nurses Union says this is a 鈥渞egular situation,鈥� with patients not only being left in hallways, but sometimes also in shower rooms or  sun rooms. Not good for healing, or privacy.

It鈥檚 easy to blame this on the politicians, but why shouldn鈥檛 we? They make the decisions. They keep a tight grip on cash for Canadians while shipping tax money off to other nations. They supposedly control growth in urban areas.

Well, one level of government 鈥� provincial 鈥� will be subject to a general election on May 9.

Make better health care an election issue. Hold your politicians accountable. Get out and vote for those most likely to fix this mess.

The Now