Prime Minister Paul Martin is under fire for the "ultimate hypocrisy" -- pushing public health care while his own family doctor runs a profitable chain of private medical clinics. Martin, who has declared medicare a key election issue with bold promises to bolster Canada's public health system, has attacked Conservative Leader Stephen Harper for supporting two-tier care. Yesterday, the PM denied he has ever jumped the public queue -- but admitted his own family doctor offers pay-for-service clinics, including MRIs. "This is a clinic that's accessible to the public. "He's an ordinary physician like any other physician I've been cared for by. And like anybody else, I've used my health card," Martin said. His GP, Dr. Sheldon Elman, is president and CEO of Medisys Health Group Inc., a Montreal-based company that delivers health-care services to big corporations and Canadian and U.S. life and health insurance companies. Its website outlines a "corporate vision" and bills itself as the "largest private, preventative health-care company in Canada." In the House of Commons, Harper accused Martin of "breathtaking" hypocrisy and political flip-flopping. "The prime minister has denounced the practice of chequebook medicine and it turns out that he is actually practising it himself, queue-jumping at private clinics," he said. REAPS EXTRA BENEFITS Martin insisted he has no executive insurance package, but in addition to the "primary" use of his medicare card, he reaps extra health benefits from the government of Canada and his former company, Canada Steamship Lines. Deputy Prime Minister Anne McLellan said the Montreal clinic used by the PM is fully accessible to any member of the public in need of medical treatment. Winnipeg Centre NDP MP Pat Martin said the Liberals must take a strong stand against privately delivered health-care services, not just privately funded ones. "This is the thin edge of the wedge, the death rattle, the beginning of the end of the health-care system as we know it," he said. In a statement issued late yesterday, Elman said Medisys has a medical clinic that provides care to the general public in addition to offering executive health and occupational health services. "Prime Minister Martin does not belong to an executive health services plan. When he visits me as his treating physician, the only services provided to Mr. Martin are those which may be provided by any family physician across Canada," he said. | 
