A former Deloitte consultant has opened up about why he chooses to live in India despite holding Canadian permanent residency. Sahil Peris said he went to Canada five years ago when he got into the country’s top MBA programme. After graduating, the techie joined Deloitte in Toronto as a full-time senior consultant.
However, despite having a high-paying job and a beautiful apartment, Peris chose to return to India. In an Instagram video shared two days ago, he explained how a health scare led to his decision to return.
Living in India despite Canada PR
Peris, who is now a content creator, said that one of the top reasons he chose to leave Canada was the country’s healthcare system.
“I have a permanent residency in Canada but I still choose to live in India,” he said. “Five years ago I moved to Canada for my MBA. I got into Canada’s top MBA programme and it was great. I got a high-paying job and a beautiful apartment in the centre of Toronto. Life seemed perfect, but it wasn’t,” he said.
During the last month of his MBA programme, Peris injured his neck. He said he was in constant pain and Canada’s healthcare system did not help.
{{/usCountry}}During the last month of his MBA programme, Peris injured his neck. He said he was in constant pain and Canada’s healthcare system did not help.
{{/usCountry}}“I was in pain every day and Canada’s healthcare system was just not helpful,” he said.
Canada’s healthcare system
Peris explained that in Canada, one cannot simply book an appointment with a spine specialist. Instead, one must be registered with a general practitioner (GP) who, in turn, can refer you to a specialist.
It took Peris months to find a GP. Even then, the GP refused to refer him to a specialist.
“He said, ‘Sahil, you are not crawling on the floor with pain’,” recalled the content creator, who is now based in Bengaluru.
“I contacted at least 10 general doctors in Toronto, and ALL 10 refused to register me. Finally, I had to use family sources to get a doctor, who was 1 hour away from me,” he explained in the comments section.
The doctor who finally saw him refused to order an MRI, saying “Even if we do find something in the MRI, you won't be able to get surgery for another 3-5 years, so what's the point of doing the imaging.”
A shortage of doctors
Peris explained that there is such a huge shortage of doctors in Canada that it is very hard to get good treatment. Lack of treatment made his condition worse — to the point where he could not do basic tasks.
“Since I wasn’t getting the right care, life became very hard. Sitting became painful. Cooking and other house work became impossible,” he said.
(Also read: Doctor highlights predatory pricing by private hospitals in India)
Peris chose to return to India, where he got the treatment he needed for a slip disc that was causing his neck issues. He also had the advantage of having family around to help. Today, two years later, he is much better.
He ended his post by saying that healthcare may seem like a small factor “until it actually impacts you”. His advice to anyone looking to move out of India? “Please make sure you have good healthcare wherever you move,” said the content creator.