"The cards have been filed and put away and held everywhere from attics to basements to storage facilities, " Zelt said.

CNN: Ninety years of birdwatchers' notes going online

However, Zelt does concede that in Canada's system, where every Canadian citizen is covered, there are limited resources, shortages and often delays.

CNN: Reality check: Canada's government health care system

"In our health care system, we're looking at what we have to do to prioritize patients -- critically ill versus purely elective surgeries, " Zelt said.

CNN: Reality check: Canada's government health care system

"You can have a patient from the hospital with abdominal pain as an example, and you can run him through every high-tech equipment, CT scan, MRIs -- it's unlimited, " Zelt said.

CNN: Reality check: Canada's government health care system

What Segal, Zelt and other Canadian officials underscore is that their government-run system is driven by the value of the care and that the quantity of tests and procedures don't necessarily equal quality.

CNN: Reality check: Canada's government health care system

"I find it very frustrating that someone of that stature would not really have true knowledge of the numbers he is actually quoting on things, " Zelt told us, saying the average wait time for a knee replacement is actually 109 days, and a hip replacement is 91 days.

CNN: Reality check: Canada's government health care system