Ability Quote by Tommy Douglas
“I felt that no boy should have to depend either for his leg or his life upon the ability of his parents to raise enough money to bring a first-class surgeon to his bedside. And I think it was out of this experience, not at the moment consciously, but through the years, I came to believe that health services ought not to have a price tag on them, and that people should be able to get whatever health services they require irrespective of their individual capacity to pay.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Canadian Parliament, 1962
Advocates for universal health care, arguing that medical treatment should be a right, not a privilege tied to wealth.
In simple terms: Health care should be free for everyone.
Key Takeaway
Support universal health care.
Themes
eity
health equity
social justice
Mood
empathetic
determined
Type
political
advocacy
When to use this quote
- policy debates
- community health clinics
- insurance reforms
- patient advocacy
Key Concepts
Welfare state
right to health
public policy
Questions to Reflect On
- How can societies fund free health care?
- What are the trade‑offs of universal coverage?
A Different Perspective
Implementation costs and tax increases can be contentious.
![“The [Liberal] federal government's trouble is that they have a wishbone where they should have a backbone.” quote by Tommy Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/1c5/tommy-douglas-17183_backbone_the-liberal-federal-government-s-trouble_793490.jpg)
