From a recent NYT article on Canada's socialist medical system:

"This is a country in which dogs can get a hip replacement in under a week and in which humans can wait two to three years."

But there is some good news for Canadians needing medical services:

The country's publicly financed health insurance system — frequently described as the third rail of its political system and a core value of its national identity — is gradually breaking down. Private clinics are opening around the country by an estimated one a week, and private insurance companies are about to find a gold mine.