One of my co-workers is in Canada, visiting family. While there, one family member falls ill, and is in the Emergency Room. While they are all waiting, another family member gets faint and collapses in the ER waiting room.
Nurses rush out, heart is not beating, no respiration. CPR started, code is called, and the defib paddles are brought out- the staff heroically restart the patients heart. Once revived, they rush this person in for tests. They can find no reason for this person to have spontaneously die.
So the hospital makes the decision to send her home with an appointment to see a cardiologist in the next few days.
Can you imagine a hospital releasing someone in less than 24 hours after they had their heart stop for no known reason? This is the problem with Centrally controlled healthcare. The staff are heroes. They save someones life... but it may be all for naught if this person gets an hour away and it happens again. Someone looked at the balance sheet and thought "No symptoms of a problem. Send 'em home."
It just boggles the mind.
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That's the typical problem with "free" healthcare. They all have mandates beaten down from above and as soon as someone shows signs of being ok, they are booted. Just don't get sick at the end of the fiscal year or expect to see a doctor within 2 to 3 months and you'll be ok. Contrary to popular belief, they also still need supplemental insurance to cover some things.
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised they took the time to restart the heart.
ReplyDelete45er- I know you have a unique perspective on the Canadian thing. Thanks for the input
ReplyDeleteStephen- I hear you. I guess they still need her tax money
My husband was Canadian, I met him when, as an airman, he came to the US to fly. I've heard more than one horror story of someone in the family who passed because they couldn't get a simple test, timely.
ReplyDeleteThere was an actress, well known, (sorry I don't follow Hollywood, so I don't remember theh name, but I remember the incident) who had a bad fall skiing, and died later after they dismissed it as "nothing". If she'd been in the US she probably would still be here.
I've had health care in the UK when I was there as a contractor. Horrible experience in every way, even though I had the money to pay for whatever was necessary. Still have a nasty scar to show for the experience.