Healthcare?
I had just finished watching John Q for an unknown number of times. I must admit that I am a sucker for drama and I enjoyed the moving performances by Denzel Washington and it is nothing short of electric. He is by far one of the best actors around and I felt connected to his portrayal of a desperate father, who is out of option to save his dying son. His is poignant and sad at the same time. The length a father would go through and his sacrifices in order for his son to obtain a new heart is tragic and sad. I wonder if I were to be in John Q's shoes what would I have done? What would you have done if thrusts into the same scenario?
It's not unreasonable to assume that it would happen eventually in our country. Healthcare has evolved to become a multi billion industry and our system is slowly moving from goverment sponsored healthcare to an HMO or Managed Care Organisations (MCO). If I remembered correctly there was an issue that came out a couple of years ago regarding MCO, where there will be a progressive decrease in goverment subsidies for healthcare and everything will be managed by a National Health Insurance scheme. As in any system, there are goods and bad points, but there are lots of loopholes which is open for abuse. Eventually this leads to more unneccesary investigations and examinations which invariably leads to higher costs. It would then be borne by the consumers themselves by having to pay higher insurance premiums. This is exactly what is happening in Malaysia, private hospitals charge a bomb to be admitted in and when a patient mention that they are covered by insurance, the hospital are even more gleeful. They charge exhorbitant fees so rampantly that it has become a norm. If you haven't a insurance policy, it's best to go to the goverment hospital. Sad to say, it will get even worse from now onwards.
What petrifies me is that what can be done to change the direction of this? I assume the goverment is bleeding just to keep healthcare free for all, but in reality what is actually being done? When I was managing a district hospital, it used to be around 100k to manage the support services of the whole hospital for a whole year. Imaging my chagrin when what used to be the costs to maintain the hospital in a year, ie upkeep of the hospital, washing of linen, provisions for foods and meals, repairs and other nitty gritty things which was done in house is now being privatised at more than 150k per month! That is like a more than 10 times to manage a district hospital a year! Support services are just an additional mode of cronyism and corruption. But what can be done? The support services is own by people with " High level connections". How sad, we, as it is, is without a doubt being shortchanged.
I reckon John Q's scenario is but a reality in time. I wonder if and when I am in John Q's shoes, what would I have done? I am unsure if I am brave enough to look the barrel of the gun in between my eyes, but I'd reckon I would do the same as he did. What else could I have done if I cannot afford the health care and the goverment is turning a blind eye?
It's not unreasonable to assume that it would happen eventually in our country. Healthcare has evolved to become a multi billion industry and our system is slowly moving from goverment sponsored healthcare to an HMO or Managed Care Organisations (MCO). If I remembered correctly there was an issue that came out a couple of years ago regarding MCO, where there will be a progressive decrease in goverment subsidies for healthcare and everything will be managed by a National Health Insurance scheme. As in any system, there are goods and bad points, but there are lots of loopholes which is open for abuse. Eventually this leads to more unneccesary investigations and examinations which invariably leads to higher costs. It would then be borne by the consumers themselves by having to pay higher insurance premiums. This is exactly what is happening in Malaysia, private hospitals charge a bomb to be admitted in and when a patient mention that they are covered by insurance, the hospital are even more gleeful. They charge exhorbitant fees so rampantly that it has become a norm. If you haven't a insurance policy, it's best to go to the goverment hospital. Sad to say, it will get even worse from now onwards.
What petrifies me is that what can be done to change the direction of this? I assume the goverment is bleeding just to keep healthcare free for all, but in reality what is actually being done? When I was managing a district hospital, it used to be around 100k to manage the support services of the whole hospital for a whole year. Imaging my chagrin when what used to be the costs to maintain the hospital in a year, ie upkeep of the hospital, washing of linen, provisions for foods and meals, repairs and other nitty gritty things which was done in house is now being privatised at more than 150k per month! That is like a more than 10 times to manage a district hospital a year! Support services are just an additional mode of cronyism and corruption. But what can be done? The support services is own by people with " High level connections". How sad, we, as it is, is without a doubt being shortchanged.
I reckon John Q's scenario is but a reality in time. I wonder if and when I am in John Q's shoes, what would I have done? I am unsure if I am brave enough to look the barrel of the gun in between my eyes, but I'd reckon I would do the same as he did. What else could I have done if I cannot afford the health care and the goverment is turning a blind eye?
posted by mercuri2000 at
8:11 PM
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