Health care shortage

Post #15,146 by marlowe 10/25/01 6:15:21 PM Reply	Health care shortage When there's not enough to go around, something's got to give. [link\|http://www.angelfire.com/ca3/marlowe/index.html\|http://www.angelfir...e/index.html] Sometimes "tolerance" is just a word for not dealing with things.
Post #15,147 by marlowe 10/25/01 6:18:41 PM Reply	Most of Canada's GPs refuse new patients [link\|http://www.cbc.ca/cgi-bin/templates/view.cgi?/news/2001/10/25/doctors_011025\|Here] Excerpts: More than two-thirds of some 14,300 physicians who took part in the study report moderate to severe problems getting medical services for their patients. In 1997, the figure was closer to 50 per cent. Delays are being caused by a shortage of doctors, nurses and other health care professionals in all provinces. Cuts to medicare and a growing and aging population have compounded the crisis. A lot of Canadians can't even get a regular family physician because only about one-third of the country's general practitioners are accepting new patients on a regular basis, according to the report... "Primary medical care may be a right, but it is not a reality for hundreds of thousands of Canadians," said Dr. Donald Gelhorn, President of the College of Family Physicians of Canada. [link\|http://www.angelfire.com/ca3/marlowe/index.html\|http://www.angelfir...e/index.html] Sometimes "tolerance" is just a word for not dealing with things.
Post #15,152 by Ashton 10/25/01 7:08:31 PM Reply	Possible giant Red Herring, beyond fruitful 'argument' even. That is, IMhO in most Western societies and particularly in US, I don't believe we have ever - generally - addressed the concepts behind "medical care". In particular, allopathic philosophy (treatment of 'symptoms' via millions of targetted drugs) is quite VS so many other approaches, mainly based upon the concepts ~~ Maintenance of robust health, caring in particular to promote, maintain a healthy immune system: obviates the need for trying to connect (varieties of symptoms to.. things we like to call 'diseases'). That is the larger context I believe. The debate has gone on (quite sub-rosa) since the AMA formed in US early last century, and tried to label all other approaches: quackery. They mostly succeeded in this spin, oft times viciously in the infighting. As a consequence of the institutionalized power of allopathy - in US, it is still difficult to find competent alternative health care amidst the Bizness-greed spawned quackery (also out there - as was guaranteed to grow via this YAN prohibition of all alternatives). This all.. quite at variance with how other countries comforably accept diversity of approaches. (Trauma treatment is quite apart from 'disease' of course; there, US-style treatment is unequalled anywhere - most all agree.) I think that the above - wherever one comes down on the debate? (which rarely happens on any $-media) - explains why all $, political forays into this whole topic: appear to fail miserably, yield always to those who have the power and money - the incumbents. Only the price rises. Lately too (as I read in last Sun paper) - Drs. bailing from HMO regimentation, declining fees and satisfaction "with medicine".. forget humongous number voting 'large dissatisfaction'. So it goes.. Mare's nest. I don't like to even try imagining any way out of the morass, myself - I just stay away from all but a few simple 'nostrums', as a principle which has worked so far. Good luck to the massively over-medicated. Ashton
Post #15,185 by Ric Locke 10/25/01 11:39:34 PM Reply	John W. Campbell's suggestion (Ah, Campbell. A curmudgeon of curmudgeons, sufficient even to warm Ashton's heart, I think. I won an argument with him once... and speaking of curmudgeons, where's Al Kapp when we need him?) Campbell suggested "licensed alternative medicine practitioners." Apply, get a license. Requirements: A fixed address (so the practitioner could be easily hunted down if necessary) and strict record-keeping, particularly as regards won-lost records. Allopathy, herbals, homeopathy, accupuncture, faith healing, anything goes. Once a year the batting averages get calculated and published, with comparison to that of "traditional" medicine. Care required in the analysis, as some of the patients would be the ones the AMA gave up on as hopeless. I'm in favor. Regards, Ric
Post #15,197 by Ashton 10/26/01 12:47:56 AM Reply	Tell me more re JW Campbell, please. I first heard his name mentioned by another 'Campbell' - John Scott Campbell (an instructor at the Institute in Pasadena), who showed me a pre-pub story he'd written for a new SciFi magazine (~ 'Time' mag format, style). Ever ever hear of him anywhere? It wasn't a very good story, even I could tell but not say, IIR\ufffdC - but I might think differently if I could see it today. Curmudgeons R Us. I have my copy of The Portable Curmudgeon (John Winokur) for when I get too nicely nicely - imagining there might be.. something like a, say? compassionateconservative or maybe a Snark. Kinda augments almost any Mencken you open a page to. So what about JWC? Obviously he had a damn good idea - too good to ever get past the suited ones - especially before we learned that, if ya want Drs. to stop acting like Gods: get up off yer knees. (I always recall the numbers - two sets from Israel - when Drs. go on strike: deaths consistently drop, over months.. not talking about a week or two) Maudlin cheers, Ashton

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