In Australia, more than 70 per cent of elective hospital admissions involving surgery occurred in a private hospital.
health-care
Canada ranked dead last on wait times for specialist care and non-emergency surgeries.
Among countries with universal health care, Canada has some of the lowest numbers of physicians, hospital beds and MRI machines.
The province's median wait between referral from a family doctor and receipt of treatment was 56.7 weeks.
In 2021/22, 41 per cent of all hospital care in Australia took place in private facilities.
Last year Canadians endured the longest median wait time (27.7 weeks) ever recorded for non-emergency surgery.
Other countries include the private sector as a partner in the universal health-care framework.
Last year, the median wait between a specialist referral and treatment was 14.8 weeks in Canada.
Nova Scotians waited 58.2 weeks (on average) between referral from a GP to receipt of treatment.
The French health-care system features several safety nets to protect vulnerable patients.