Socialised Medicine Hazards

By Bobby Chang

In the discussion of the President's plan for socialised medicine through "health care reform," which would turn the nation fully into being run by Europe after courts began declaring years ago that European laws override American laws, and now with the idea of European-style socialism with tax rates over 50%, a message I received from a friend, Caroline Lewis-Jones, a dancer, and also warnings from doctors about athletic injuries reminded me of why we cannot have socialised medicine, and how its plan to have government bureaucrats determine what types of medical treatment are possible, the long waits, and restrictions on medical care (including an emphasis on killing through “abortion,” including mandates on training doctors to kill, and “euthanasia”) are extremely dangerous for the health of the person. The proposals of socialised medicine and restrictions on specialists would virtually prohibit medical research (except for baby-killing), new medicines and vaccines (could you imagine Jonas Salk producing the polio vaccine with government-run health care banning research on new medicines; speaking of polio, Bill Cullen's polio was why he sat at desks on many of his game shows; you could see how it compromised him when he hosted the syndicated 1970's version of Pyramid; also he was already seated in position in many game shows where he was a guest panelist), and experimental surgery that is used only in this country where innovation has long been rewarded.
As I read the report from Mrs. Lewis-Jones, whom I have supported her efforts against cancer and a local hospice (she lost her mother two weeks after I lost my father), the report mentioned she had a severe knee injury, as she tore her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), and will have surgery Monday for repairs. It will likely take months (probably into next summer) to heal the severe injury (a friend at church had an ACL tear that took months to heal from playing sports with the kids), with Mrs. Lewis-Jones' rehabilitation probably taking longer because of her nature as a professional dancer.

The nature of her treatment reminded me of the rationing of medical care services and medicine under "single-payer" socialised medicine, which is the model plan of this Administration. Imagine if it was under the new ObamaCare, and she is told to visit a general practitioner, and not a specialist who works with knees, which is what she needs for her injury, as the specialist works with dancers and athletes. The general practicioner makes a diagnosis but tells her to wait in the mandatory waiting line for the knee specialist. The waiting line for her severe injury takes her a minimum of two months, and then she is told to wait six to eight months for surgery, as her ACL injury line is long from high-school athletes who have blown their knees from ACL tears, who cannot wait. Meanwhile, she is out a minimum of two years from her livelihood and occupation because of government waiting lines that could mean waiting a total of six months, then eight months for surgery, and the rehabilitation which will take a year.

Is this the type of medical care we need when someone has a severe knee injury such as an ACL tear, and requires two years from calling the doctor to being cleared again, when currently the injury can be detected quickly, surgery immediate, and rehabilitation is much faster, and she can be ready within this time next year? As a friend of Mrs. Lewis-Jones (we saw each other at the South Carolina Philharmonic concert in January that I thought was not suited for Wien), I cannot imagine her losing her occupation for two years because rationed health care ensures she cannot be treated for her severe knee injury.

As we go into next week, please keep Mrs. Lewis-Jones in your prayers as she goes under the knife of the doctor to repair the torn ACL.

This injury makes me appreciate the specialists who will tend to these injuries with special care designed for dancers and athletes. These are the types of doctors socialised medicine would eliminate, and ruin careers of friends such as her career.

Oh, by the way. It is a sad state of affairs when many do not know what is Santander after watching last week's Großer Santander Preis von Deutschland. After reading the Max Mosley controversy at the Nürburgring, I hope many of you will know what is Santander. Some in the Northeast may have something from them – I own shares of Santander.) Do not use any search engine – Google, Yahoo!, Bing, et al, in answering the question – What is Santander?