United States and some of the North European countries claim to provide a high level of health care to their citizens. Presidential Elections 2016 have been fought in United States, with Health Care as one of the heated and hyped agendas. Rulers of Democratic countries in Asia, Africa, South America, go to U.S.A., and Europe to study the Health Care facilities available in the "Heavens" there. Back home, the Rulers will mix various things and cook some other hodgepodge hotchpotch new Health Care Systems for implementation in their own countries. So far so good, okay. Still as a pessimist, cynic, critic, I have my own doubts about the Health Care System which is being implemented in those countries.
Related Links
Click here to go to https://www.airmedandrescue.com/features/no-room-inn. This link shows the problems of scarcity of ICU Beds in Europe. It deals with a problem of scarcity of ICU Beds, to patients who can afford to pay either out of their own resources or through some Health Insurance / Health Care Scheme. This problem can be addressed to in mid and long run, by the market mechanism of the Capitalist and bourgeoisie Systems of Demand and Supply. In this type of scarcities, 'patient dumping' rarely takes place. Reason: Patients are affluent, and they can go for alternative hospitals, in alternative countries.
What I am interested is about "patient-dumping", in respect of those who cannot pay.
Ordinarily, State-run hospitals are expected to take up the burden of the poor patients. In addition, Charity and Religious Missionary Hospitals are expected to come to the rescue of those patients who cannot pay, in the bourgeoisie economies. But that seldom happens. May be, demand for charity, and religious missionary zeal outstrips their supply. Or alternatively, even charities, and missionary organisations can turn COVERTLY COMMERCIAL. In this setting, 'patient-dumping' may take place secretly.
HEALTH CARE CONDITIONS IN INDIA, WHICH IS THEORETICALLY A WELFARE-STATE
SOME STATE GOVERNMENTS HAVE SCHEMES TO REIMBURSE PRIVATE HOSPITALS
India is an extremely over-populated country. We are like ants in an ant-hill. Bulk of the population is poor. They cannot afford any type of in-patient or ICU health care. They can't buy Health Insurance. IN some States, the State Govts. are operating Health Care Schemes, which provide medical reimbursements to Private Hospitals, for in-patient treatments, surgical procedures, in respect of selected serious diseases.
In these States, one important observation which can be made is: Budget Allocations for reimbursements to Private Hospitals are far higher, when compared to budget allocations for purchase of medicines,equipment, linen etc. in the Govt. Hospitals. Govt. Hospitals are literally starved, in the sense that patients are made to starve for food. Govt. Doctors habitually ask the relatives of patients to buy medicines in private medical shops, and bring.
CONDITIONS IN STATE-RUN HOSPITALS
Ordinarily, Government Hospitals in India are overstretched by the demands from rising populations. Owing to scarcity of doctors in Govt. Hospitals, they have started attending private hospitals on full time, visiting their regular jobs now and then, treating them as part-time jobs. Para-medical Staff in Govt. Hospitals, owing to their getting overstretched, started demanding bribes, regularly. Funds intended for purchasing medicines, food, linen, replacement beds, diagnostic equipment etc. get diverted.
In these circumstances, some people, who cannot afford treatment in private hospitals, started getting admitted into private hospitals, without knowing the bizarre consequences, they are going to face, and without knowing the hardships their sons and daughters will be put to, for raising monies to pay the hospital bills.
Once a patient enters a Private Sector Super Speciality Hospital in India, what the sons and daughters of the patients have to do? Just go on paying hundreds of thousands of Rupees into the Hospital Counters, every two three days, depending on the Hospital, and the ailment. In the process, the relatives of the patients, incur debts at high rate of interest, sell/pledge family gold, sell/mortgage homes, beg, borrow , steal. Sometimes, there may be frequent threats of removing ventilators etc. if the amounts are not deposited in time. Thus, it is not the patient who undergoes stresses and strains, but it is their supporting relatives who are asked to deposit monies on short notice. There are numerous instances of hospitals with-holding delivery of the dead body of the patient, till all the pending bills are paid by relatives.
INEQUALITIES IN HEALTH CARE PROVIDED AT GOVERNMENT HOSPITALS
In case of Very Important Persons (VIPs) such as politicians, high level bureaucrats, Government of India, and the State Governments, send them abroad for Advanced Treatment. The Governments also foots their Overseas Medical Bills, running into millions of Rupees. The latest example for this Maharaja Treatment: Mr. Ram Bilas Paswan, a Central Minister, went to UK for getting his heart problem treated.
Ms. Sonia Gandhi, MP, and Congress President, goes to United States frequently for medical checkup and treatment. It is not clear, whether she foots her own bill , or the Government of India bears the expenses, as she may be eligible for that, as the widow of Former Prime Minister, and as M.P. The question here is why all our VIPs continuously and consistently feel that they will be alright only when they get treated abroad? On the one hand, India is boasting of Inward Medical Tourism Development!!!
With millions spent on one ViP for treatment in London---
at least one Government hospital can be run with ample supplies of medicines for one year.
Question: You write of True Total Socialism which is nothing but utopian. Now, you write clearly how you are going to prevent Patient Dumping?
Ans: India is a country of 1.3 billions. In another 25 years we shall touch 1.7 billion, population of China and U.S.A. put together.
New Inventions made in the medical arena, such as new pharmaceuticals, diagnostic equipment, surgical procedures, post-operative care, ICU methods, everything involves millions of dollars and euros. Who has to pay for all these? Even Developed Countries are finding it difficult to bear the costs of state-of-the-art medical treatments. For this reason only, bourgeoisie Governments will always try to cut Health Care Schemes, Budget Provisions for Health Care Schemes, when there are no elections around, and promise to raise such allocations when there are elections around.
ADOPTING THE LATEST MEDICAL PROCEDURES, USING LATEST MEDICAL EQUIPMENT AND INNOVASIONS, IN UNDER-DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
This is not possible for a country with 1.3 billion population. Nor is it correct to say that politicians can go abroad for the latest treatment, and all other hoi polloi have to rot in native hospitals.
IN TRUE TOTAL SOCIALISM, PARADIGM UPWARD SHIFTS IN MEDICAL TREATMENT CAN BE ALLOWED, ONLY WHEN THE NATION IS IN A POSITION TO PAY FOR ITS ENTIRE 1.3 BILLION POPULATION
The Bourgeoisie Capitalist method of moneyed person going abroad for medical treatment, and the poor man languishing in home cannot be allowed. Either the entire Nation should get the Latest Medical Treatment, or the entire Nation should fore-go it.
To come back and continue adding / deleting / modifying. सशेष. ఇంకా ఉంది.
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