What is a man? A job that you didn’t apply for A job that you don’t take vacation A job that hurts and breaks A thankless job
You sacrifice your life You sacrifice your time You sacrifice your patience You sacrifice your peace And yet it’s never enough
You must learn the way of pain, Knowing pain, you must learn quickly Pain birth you, pain demands you Run, fly… but no one escapes pain Make peace; pain does not care
A man with many faces One day you get to be angel, Another day, you are a savage One day you are a peacemaker, Another day, you are trouble
A man without empathy A man without ethics A man who lacks economics A man who lacks emotions That man is not a made man
No one owes you anything Yet, you owe your life Yet, you owe your time Yet, you owe your strength To a world that keeps taking
You will understand quickly – Pain is real Failure is a teacher Power is corrupt Purpose is the only explanation
Other men have suffered before you Other men are suffering now Other men will suffer then Know this, know peace The curse of suffering continues
There is always a man out there – Hoping to take what is yours Wanting to use you Open to betray you Eager to kill you
I hope one day my young sons- Ruled by wisdom and strength Find meaning and their purpose Understand the burden of a man And survive this terrible world
Before you judge the soul who fell, They may have lived a private hell. Perhaps they cried, but none could hear, Or reached for help that wasn’t near— And gone too soon, the departed.
They bore the weight of cruel disdain, Mocked and broken, scarred by pain. Betrayed by those they held as true, With nothing left to cling onto— And gone too soon, the departed.
Behind closed doors, they hid their cries, Masked their hurt with hollow lies. Each smile a shield, each laugh a mask, Each moment a survival task— And gone too soon, the departed.
They weren’t selfish, just afraid. A fragile heart the world dismayed. Rejected, scorned, or cast aside, Alone they suffered, though they tried— And gone too soon, the departed.
“You don’t belong,” the echoes said. “You’re not enough,” was daily fed. “You’re just a burden,” burned inside. So dreams and self-began to die— And gone too soon, the departed.
They traded torment for release, A restless soul who longed for peace. They stopped a breath to stop the ache, One silent step for their own sake— And gone too soon, the departed.
Tired of battles, worn and bruised, Tired of being always used. Tired of pleading, tired of pain, Tired of trying all in vain— And gone too soon, the departed.
Anxiety like wildfire spread, While midnight whispers filled their head. Despair became their only friend, A loss, a wound that wouldn’t mend— And gone too soon, the departed.
The sword of hopelessness struck deep, The storm of loneliness struck anew Each thought a wound, unhealed, unkind. And the ruins of shame bled straight through— And gone too soon, the departed.
The power of powerlessness drained their flame, Each breath, a burden; each day the same. They fought in silence, broke apart, With no one there to mend their heart— And gone too soon, the departed.
Today drips like ripe fruit, crushed beneath the feet of kings and beggars alike. There are laughters—wild, like tambourines in drunken alleys. There are cries—long, like cathedrals echoing prayers that rot. Today is today— no mask, no mercy.
Somewhere, a woman breathes peace into her child’s soft hair, Elsewhere, bones rattle beneath the boots of men with metal hearts. Freedom dances barefoot in one square— In another, a soul is shackled for dreaming. Today is today— a coin flipped by invisible gods.
Each sunrise is a loaded gun— pointed at luck, or loss. Some sip wine with trembling lips and call it survival. Others bleed, silently, into clean white sheets. Today is today— the blade and the balm.
Alive—yes, the earth still spins in her dress of dust and fire. Life kisses us, bites us, forgets us. But still, Today is today— undeniable, holy, and cruel as love.
Canada’s healthcare system is often lauded for its universality, but beneath the surface lies a fragmented system plagued by inefficiencies, long wait times, and interoperability gaps. These challenges not only strain healthcare providers but also compromise patient outcomes. Currently, the statistics paint a sobering picture: the median wait time between referral from a general practitioner to specialist treatment has reached 27.7 weeks – over half a year of waiting in uncertainty. Nearly 6.5 million Canadians lack a regular healthcare provider, and medical errors contribute to 28,000 deaths annually, with a significant portion attributed to incomplete patient histories, shocking reality that underscores the urgent need for a technological transformation in healthcare.
But what if we could transform this landscape through a unified, secure digital health platform? Imagine a system as familiar and accessible as your CRA account, but designed to revolutionize healthcare delivery.
The Challenge: A Fragmented System
Our current healthcare infrastructure operates in silos. A patient in Vancouver cannot easily share their medical history with an emergency room in Toronto. A specialist in Montreal might prescribe medication without knowing about allergies documented by a family doctor in Calgary. This fragmentation not only compromises patient care but also leads to:
Preventable adverse drug reactions (affecting 1.5 million Canadians yearly)
Extended hospital stays due to incomplete medical histories
Critical delays in emergency care delivery
The root of many of these issues lies in the lack of a unified, portable, and accessible healthcare record system. Imagine a world where every Canadian has an accurate Best Possible Medication History (BPMH), a comprehensive digital health record that tracks every vaccination, prescription, blood test, diagnosis, specialist visit, and surgery from birth to the present. This record would be accessible to any healthcare provider across the country, ensuring that no matter where you are, your medical history is always at your fingertips. Such a system would drastically reduce wait times, minimize medical errors, and ensure that every patient receives the most effective, personalized care possible.
A Bold Solution: An AI-Driven Healthcare Ecosystem
I propose an AI-powered, interoperable health information platform that serves as a single source of truth for patient care across the country. This AI-driven system would function as a federated health network, much like the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) authentication system, using the same robust authentication protocols. Users could log in securely, giving healthcare providers permission to access their data on demand on a token-based approval, aligned with relevant privacy and data protection laws.
Here’s how it would work:
Comprehensive Health Records: Every Canadian would have a digital health profile that includes their BPMH, updated in real-time. This profile would integrate data from hospitals, clinics, pharmacies, and even wearable devices like Apple Watches and Fitbits. Whether you’re visiting a family doctor in Toronto or an emergency room in Vancouver, your complete medical history would be instantly accessible.
AI-Driven Precision Medicine: The platform would use AI to analyze patient data and provide evidence-based recommendations to healthcare providers. For example, based on your medical history and current vitals, the system could suggest the most effective treatments, flag potential drug interactions, or recommend preventive screenings. This would empower doctors to make faster, more informed decisions, reducing diagnostic errors and improving patient outcomes.
Proactive Health Management: The platform would include a patient-facing dashboard that sends personalized notifications for routine check-ups, vaccinations, and screenings (e.g., annual eye exams, Pap tests, or prostate exams). It could also offer tailored recommendations for diet, fitness, and lifestyle changes based on your health profile. Imagine receiving a notification reminding you to update your height or weight, or prompting you to schedule a flu shot—all in one place.
Seamless Integration: The platform would integrate with existing systems like DPIN (Drug Programs Information Network), hospital scheduling systems, and referral networks. For instance, it could auto-generate prescriptions for prescribers to review and modify or streamline the referral process for specialists like orthodontists or dermatologists. It would also enhance transparency by providing real-time updates on wait times for surgeries, transplants, or diagnostic tests. The system would interface with other systems such as provincial health insurance systems, Hospital EMR systems, pharmacy management systems, laboratory information systems, and medical imaging networks.
Enhanced Accessibility and Portability: By linking the platform to provincial health cards, Canadians would have instant access to their health records wherever they go. This would be particularly beneficial for travelers, newcomers, or those relocating between provinces. No more filling out redundant forms or repeating tests—your health history would follow you, ensuring continuity of care.
The Impact: A Healthier Canada
The benefits of such a system are profound. For patients, it means shorter wait times, fewer medical errors, and more personalized care. For healthcare providers, it means reduced administrative burden, improved decision-making, and better resource allocation. For the system as a whole, it means cost savings, increased efficiency, and enhanced patient satisfaction.
Consider the following potential outcomes:
A 30% reduction in wait times due to streamlined processes and reduced administrative delays.
A 20% decrease in medical errors thanks to comprehensive, up-to-date patient records.
Improved patient outcomes through precision medicine and proactive health management.
Real-World Application
Consider Sarah, a Winnipeg resident experiencing chest pain while visiting family in Halifax. Under the current system, emergency room staff would have limited access to her medical history. With this tool, doctors would instantly access her complete cardiac history, current medications, recent test results, and relevant family history – enabling faster, more accurate diagnosis and treatment.
The Path Forward
Creating this unified health information system requires collaboration between federal and provincial governments, healthcare providers, and technology partners. While the initial investment would be substantial, the long-term benefits in improved patient outcomes, reduced healthcare costs, and enhanced system efficiency would far outweigh the implementation costs.
We have the technology. We have the expertise. What we need now is the collective will to transform Canadian healthcare through digital innovation. Let’s work together to create a connected healthcare system that serves all Canadians, regardless of where they live or seek care.
The health of a nation is the wealth of nation. It is not just physical health but our mental and moral health. There are things which cost little but go a long way to increasing our commonwealth. This has to do with our individual values and how we relate with one another. Check out these ten little things you can start doing that cost little and doesn’t hurt;
It doesn’t hurt to admit you are wrong, it frees the mind to learn
It doesn’t hurt to live a principled life. Enough of the mess already
It doesn’t hurt to give 110% effort. The extra is stuff of the extraordinary
It doesn’t hurt to complement and compliment others, it is worthwhile investment
It doesn’t hurt to live within your means, that’s no 1 key to financial success
It doesn’t hurt to be always set a good example, that’s your legacy
It doesn’t hurt to say the truth; the truth sets you free
It doesn’t hurt to take responsibility, that’s the first step to becoming a leader
It doesn’t hurt to duck your pride, pride goes before fall
It doesn’t hurt to help the sick and the needy, you are the real MVP.
“I want to eat my cake and have it’, this is what a HR manager said when referring to the new influx of millennial generations they have to hire to replace retiring baby boomers. He described them as opportunistic driven and ill-mannered crop of hippies with the trademark ‘I want it my way, don’t get in my way’.
Who are the millennial generation? Millennial generation refers to those born between early 80’s and the new millennial, year 2000. Neil Howe and William Strauss, authors of the 1991 book Generations: The History of America’s Future, 1584 to 2069, are often credited with coining the term. They are also called generation Y, trophy generation, newcomers, digital generation, new age generation, generation Me, Peter pan or Boomerang generation.
What is particular about this generation? They have become increasingly important because they are the most educated, trendy, exposed, technology savvy and toughest generation to manage when compared with baby boomers (born between 1946 – 1964), Generation X (1965 – 1979) and even Generation Z (2000 to present day). Millennials (or generation Y) have become a dominant force in the labor market and recently become the largest share of the American workforce according to new Pew Research Center analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data. (more…)
While starting a business and at the same time searching for a strategic location in the market you are looking for can be challenging. With the prices of property rising at the turn of each year, you wonder if it is possible to have a wall and brick location for your new business idea or non-profit.
Your business can be so many things but cannot afford to be far away from its intended niche. The more traffic you have, the better chance of turning a profitable venture or a fulfilling non-profit organization. However, for new business owners, a commercial lease is a daunting and herculean undertaking that requires inventive research and diligence.
I currently have the same challenge of getting a sizable location for a non-profit I chair. It dawned on me that I could do a co-lease with another non-profit since most of our programs runs in the evenings and weekend. That was how we got another non-profit to co-lease with us who are also looking for same opportunity. Below are some of the factors I considered;
One of the best decisions in life one can make is dealing with present reality by managing attending situations of life within contemporary means. It is often said that it is the decisions made and actions undertaken in the past that brought us where we are now. That is looking at it from a systemic angle.
With life come choices and chances. There is different between stand-up and stand-up now. You can easily recall how many times you came late to the party (delayed in taking a necessary step to achieving a portion of success). Mind you, the world comes with its surprises. Even the most gifted aren’t the most celebrated but the fortunate. We are fortunate with a lot of things but who can discern the unfortunate circumstances of life. The designer of the universe knows better than we mortals. (more…)
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