Many times my folks left me a the hospital not knowing for sure if they would see me again.   And there was a cost associated with my illnesses.  Tommy Douglas, a Premier of Saskatchewan managed to bring in the first provincial health care program in Canada.  Here is a summary: 

The Saskatchewan Hospitalization Act, introduced in 1947, marked a significant milestone in Canadian healthcare as the first government-funded, universal hospital insurance program in North America. This act was implemented in the province of Saskatchewan under the leadership of Premier Tommy Douglas and his Cooperative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) government. It served as a precursor to Canada's national health insurance system.

Key Features of the Saskatchewan Hospitalization Act:

1. Coverage of Services:
   
   

   • The Act provided free hospital care for all Saskatchewan residents.

   • It covered the costs associated with in-patient services in public hospitals, including:

     • Hospital room and board.

     • Necessary nursing services.

     • Diagnostic services (e.g., X-rays, laboratory tests).

     • Operating room and anesthesia services.

     • Medications required during hospitalization.

     • Standard medical and surgical supplies.

2. Excluded Services:
   
   

   • Out-patient services were not covered.

   • Physician fees for services provided outside hospitals, including general consultations and procedures in doctors' offices or clinics, were not included.

   • Non-hospital-based drugs (prescriptions filled outside the hospital) were excluded.

   • Dental care, except when required as part of in-hospital surgery, was not covered.

3. Funding Model:
   
   

   • The plan was financed through provincial taxes, with the government directly paying hospitals for eligible services.

   • Patients did not pay any fees at the point of service for covered hospital care.

This groundbreaking program reduced financial barriers to healthcare, improved public health outcomes, and laid the foundation for the Canada Health Act and the nationwide Medicare system established in the 1960s. It also sparked debates and resistance from some physicians, concerns about funding sustainability, and discussions about the role of government in healthcare delivery.

Excluded services was the issue for my parents.  Doctors visits and drugs perscribed outside of the hospital would cost my parents a lot of money and at one point they had bartered chickens from the farm for the drugs I needed.  

There were other effects perhaps more direct.  The terrible stress of my young parents not knowing if I would make it through many different occasions they left me at the hospital. And in those days parents were not allowed to stay at the hospital with their sick children.   

The effects of seperation anxiety between children and parents was just being studied at about the same time I was in the hospital... Here is a summary of the studies made: 

Studies examining the effects of hospitalization on children separated from their parents began emerging in the mid-20th century, primarily influenced by the work of John Bowlby, a British psychoanalyst and pioneer in attachment theory. His research into the emotional needs of children and the importance of the parent-child bond spurred studies in the field.

Key Milestones in Research:

1. 1940s-1950s: Early Observations by John Bowlby

   • Bowlby conducted extensive research on children separated from their parents during World War II.

   • He observed that hospitalized or institutionalized children often experienced profound emotional distress and behavioral changes, such as apathy, withdrawal, and difficulty forming relationships later in life.

2. 1952: James Robertson's Film "A Two-Year-Old Goes to Hospital"

   • Robertson, a social worker and Bowlby's collaborator, filmed a young girl's emotional reactions during her hospital stay without her parents.

   • The film highlighted the child's distress, fear, and withdrawal, prompting widespread awareness of the psychological impact of separation.

   • This work led to advocacy for allowing parental presence during children's hospitalizations.

3. 1960s: Evolution of Hospital Policies

   • By the 1960s, further studies by child psychologists and pediatricians emphasized the importance of maintaining parent-child contact to reduce the stress of hospitalization.

   • Hospitals began revising policies to allow more frequent visits by parents and, eventually, rooming-in arrangements where parents could stay with their hospitalized child.

4. 1970s Onward: Empirical Research on Separation Anxiety

   • Studies by researchers like Anna Freud, René Spitz, and others examined the developmental effects of early separations, including in hospital settings.

   • Findings consistently showed that children who experienced prolonged separations exhibited symptoms of separation anxiety, regression, and long-term attachment challenges.

These studies fundamentally reshaped pediatric healthcare practices, leading to more child-centered and family-friendly hospital policies, such as the establishment of family-centered care models and inclusion of parents in the treatment process.

At one point I was seperated from my parents for about 3 months after being placed in a Regina hospital due to an extreme asthma bout.  When I came home Mom said I didn't recognize her. I am sure that was a devastating and damaging time for both of us.  As I got older I started the long process of growing out of some of those health issues.  

After 70 years I can tell you about the childrens ward of the Weyburn General Hospital in detail, the layout, the chrome plumbing, the floors, the wirring sound of the oxygen tents, the injections, the nurses coming and going, the food - but most of all, the "longing".  Waiting for doctors to come, waiting for Mom and Dad to come, waiting for visitors.  There is nothing like that feeling of emptiness and hope and it had it's long term effects.