#41 ·
US Forum... I lost my entire long post... I really don't have the heart to rewrite the whole thing again. In short:
Sunday mail
3/7/2005
Adelaide
South Australia
Adelaide has a population of about 1.05 million. It’s a highly developed city even if it isn't huge. We actually just secured a $4.5 Billion Dollar deal for the state to build war destroyers.
We have two well-known medical schools here, and we train students from all over Asia... most of whom end up staying because they love the area and the laid-back lifestyle.
The issue is our doctors—especially specialists—moving away to Sydney or Melbourne where the conditions are better and the paychecks are bigger.
Today, the papers are covering the mess happening within our public hospitals.
We’ve all dealt with waiting lists. Personally, I see seven out of my eight specialists privately, except for when I need a Neurologist.
The real trouble is that the Liberal government has gutted the medical system. There was a time when everything was accessible, and private insurance was mainly just for getting a private room in the hospital.
But now, private doctors only work in private hospitals. If you don't have private insurance, you're stuck with the public system, which often lacks enough specialists—if it has any at all.
For a hip replacement, you're looking at a wait of over two years. First, you wait a year just to see a specialist.
One elderly woman actually took her story to the papers regarding a knee surgery on her right leg.
She had surgery on her left leg six years ago, and they told her she’d eventually need it on the right one too.
She applied for a specialist appointment five years ago... she's still waiting for the actual surgery. She's in constant pain. On top of that, she’s 84 years old and has to care for her 86-year-old husband, who suffered a stroke. She handles everything for him.
When she spoke up, it made waves all over Adelaide, but we all know how things really are. The politicians don't feel the pressure because they aren't living through it.
Up until I retired in 1992, I always had the best of everything, but nowadays, retirement pay just doesn't cut it.
We never really had a system as solid as what they have in the UK, Germany, or much of Europe and Canada.
It’s created two classes here: those with money who can pay for everything, and the poor who are left with nothing. Believe me, retirees here aren't in any better shape than you are.
I follow your struggles closely and I see what's happening.
It’s turning into the American capitalist system... if you're wealthy, working, and can afford the bills, you're fine. But for the majority? That's not the case. If you can't pay, nobody cares. You just die.
Sunday mail
3/7/2005
Adelaide
South Australia
Adelaide has a population of about 1.05 million. It’s a highly developed city even if it isn't huge. We actually just secured a $4.5 Billion Dollar deal for the state to build war destroyers.
We have two well-known medical schools here, and we train students from all over Asia... most of whom end up staying because they love the area and the laid-back lifestyle.
The issue is our doctors—especially specialists—moving away to Sydney or Melbourne where the conditions are better and the paychecks are bigger.
Today, the papers are covering the mess happening within our public hospitals.
We’ve all dealt with waiting lists. Personally, I see seven out of my eight specialists privately, except for when I need a Neurologist.
The real trouble is that the Liberal government has gutted the medical system. There was a time when everything was accessible, and private insurance was mainly just for getting a private room in the hospital.
But now, private doctors only work in private hospitals. If you don't have private insurance, you're stuck with the public system, which often lacks enough specialists—if it has any at all.
For a hip replacement, you're looking at a wait of over two years. First, you wait a year just to see a specialist.
One elderly woman actually took her story to the papers regarding a knee surgery on her right leg.
She had surgery on her left leg six years ago, and they told her she’d eventually need it on the right one too.
She applied for a specialist appointment five years ago... she's still waiting for the actual surgery. She's in constant pain. On top of that, she’s 84 years old and has to care for her 86-year-old husband, who suffered a stroke. She handles everything for him.
When she spoke up, it made waves all over Adelaide, but we all know how things really are. The politicians don't feel the pressure because they aren't living through it.
Up until I retired in 1992, I always had the best of everything, but nowadays, retirement pay just doesn't cut it.
We never really had a system as solid as what they have in the UK, Germany, or much of Europe and Canada.
It’s created two classes here: those with money who can pay for everything, and the poor who are left with nothing. Believe me, retirees here aren't in any better shape than you are.
I follow your struggles closely and I see what's happening.
It’s turning into the American capitalist system... if you're wealthy, working, and can afford the bills, you're fine. But for the majority? That's not the case. If you can't pay, nobody cares. You just die.