Obviously, you didn't put much thought into this post. It took me about a minute on google, to figure out what's going on here:
This woman could go out tommorrow, and buy a hearing aid from a private company. Isn't that the way you cons like it? That whole personal responsibility thing?
The fact that she's on a waiting list with the National Health Service (NHS) means she probably can't afford to pay for one out of her own pocket.
And at least NHS offers free hearing aids. Most private insurance plans don't pay for hearing aids. She'd be SOL in the United States, most likely.
Lastly, priority for the free hearing aids from British NHS are for war veterans and retired police. Sorry. Sorry, but, war veterans should come first.
Most likely, this old lady is better off in the UK: at least she'll get a hearing aid eventually, on NHS. She obviously can't afford to buy one out of her own pocket, or she could go out tommorow and get one from a private company. And private insurance wouldn't help her - they generally don't cover hearing aids.
She cannot buy a hearing aid from a private company it is illegal to practice private medicine in Canada.