August 25, 2009 - Goanet's 15th Anniversary
Thanks to Ruby Goes for posting the following articles on the British
healthcare system, which should help show Goan-Americans why the US solution
should avoid the same route at any cost.
http://lists.goanet.org/pipermail/goanet-goanet.org/2009-August/182223.html
http://lists.goanet.org/pipermail/goanet-goanet.org/2009-August/182227.html
This sorry situation is not because the Brits are not compassionate or that
their physicians are sub-standard - Brit physicians are among the best in the
world. However, this situation is typical of a government run system, no
matter which country it resides in. No one has the proper incentives to make a
government-run system efficient.
A socialized health care system is the ultimate dream of all committed Marxists
because not only does it intrude into and control their economic lives but
their physical and mental condition as well.
The British NHS employs an unbelievable 1.4 million people for a small country,
the vast majority of whom are babus and not physicians, nurses, lab technicians
or therapists. This is a huge vote bank for the Labour Party that will make
any reform very difficult at the expense of the British people. According to
reports, an average of 45,000 NHS employees do not show up for work on any
given day. Imagine trying to run a business like this.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/6092658/Cruel-and-neglectful-care-of-one-million-NHS-patients-exposed.html
Excerpt:
In the last six years, the Patients Association claims hundreds of thousands
have suffered from poor standards of nursing, often with 'neglectful,
demeaning, painful and sometimes downright cruel' treatment.
The charity has disclosed a horrifying catalogue of elderly people left in
pain, in soiled bed clothes, denied adequate food and drink, and suffering from
repeatedly cancelled operations, missed diagnoses and dismissive staff.
The Patients Association said the dossier proves that while the scale of the
scandal at Mid-Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust - where up to 1,200 people
died through failings in urgent care - was a one off, there are repeated
examples they have uncovered of the same appalling standards throughout the
NHS.
[end of excerpt]