Treat, not trade! Why healthcare should be free

Treat, not trade! Why healthcare should be free

Why should healthcare be free? Here is a selection from various sources confirming that under no circumstances should a doctor be a merchant selling services. The hospital is not a market!

The American media are discussing a high-profile scandal that erupted in one of the clinics in Illinois. The medical facility received $160,000 for each unnecessary operation on a patient's trachea. The death rate at the Sacred Heart Hospital at that time, in a strange way, sharply exceeded the citywide rate, writes Bloomberg.

A hospital in Illinois came to the attention of the FBI after a string of mysterious deaths. In the medical records of some patients, a tracheostomy operation was listed, the need for which the doctors could not explain. Surgical intervention in such cases is necessary only if the person is experiencing severe breathing problems. To facilitate the process, an air tube is inserted into the patient's trachea.

Each such operation brought the hospital $160,000 in insurance payments. In a year, this amount turned into $ 10 million. However, not all patients survived after such treatment – for example, two weeks of this practice in 2010 claimed the lives of five people. Bloomberg writes that at that time the death rate at the Sacred Heart Hospital was 3 times higher than the citywide rate in Illinois.

The FBI has launched an investigation into the case. Agents wiretapped the hospital's telephone line. From the conversations of pulmonologists and surgeons, it became known that doctors “pumped up” patients with tranquilizers, antidepressants and drugs that increase blood pressure and heart rate, and together disrupt respiratory function, after which they prescribed a tracheostomy. In April, Sacred Heart hospital owner Edward Novak, the hospital's chief financial officer, and five surgeons were charged in this case. Everyone, except Novak, is in a pre-trial detention center, and the owner of the hospital was released on $10 million bail during the investigation.

Pharmaceutical companies in the US inflate prices for effective cancer drugs

More than 100 leading oncologists from around the world accused the pharmaceutical magnates of cynicism and moral looting. Speculating on medicines is tantamount to selling grain at exorbitant prices during natural disasters, doctors say. A group of experts in the field of cancer research is seriously concerned about the rising prices of drugs for cancer patients. Speculation in the pharmaceutical market deprives patients of the possibility of full treatment and leads to early death.

Of the 12 new drugs approved for sale in the US in 2012, 11 cannot be afforded even by wealthy Americans. The price of a course of therapy for a year costs the patient at least $100,000.So, one of the most inexpensive, but effective means of combating leukemia – "Glijek" – increased in price from $ 30 thousand to $ 92 thousand per person. The price has not rose not because the company began to spend more money for the production of medication, and due to the fact that it confirmed its effectiveness. Doctors called on the authorities and businessmen to distribute resources to honestly and help those who can die at any time.

Due to the state of health, patients often cannot fully work fully and are forced to spend most of the time at home or in the hospital. Charitable funds and government medical institutions do not provide a third of the needs of patients. The director of the Macmillana Maureen Ratter Foundation noted that patients, facing forever growing drug prices, come to perfect despair, than only aggravate their already severe emotional state. "The number of people suffering from cancer is growing from the year. And the manufacturers of drugs are only made on the mountain of people, "said Ratter.

British doctors offered to patients to rely on the will of Allah

Hospital of the city of Romford in the UK was in the center of the scandal after the medical staff, referring to employment, refused to provide a timely assistance to a two-year-old girl, who had breathing problems. Medic advised her to Muslim parents to "be righteous believers and rely on Allah." The girl's father, the 39-year-old Murad Ali said that the nurse, who is also Muslim, simply ignored all the requests of the parents, while the girl had almost crossed, and she had a foam from her mouth. The child with high temperatures was brought by ambulance in the afternoon earlier. Both parents girls are doctors, but another specialization.

At the hospital who was more than once on the verge of bankruptcy, nine families already intend to sue. All of them accuse doctors in neglect, non-professionalism and non-fulfillment of their duties. It is reported that the girl had strong respiratory failure, but the doctors sent her home, and the parents advised to pray to Allah. The hospital administration brought her family apologies and promised to urgently consider this business.

Stay in British clinics is dangerous to health

The Great Britain Health System was tasty criticized by the Company in connection with the next incident, which led to the patient's death in one of the largest hospitals of the country. However, as it turned out, this case for the clinic is far from the only one – officials ignored the high rates of mortality in the hospital. According to RT Correspondent Polina Boyko, such a deplorable state of experts project to the entire health system.

More than a thousand patients did not be discharged from Stafford.People died in inhuman conditions, with full indifference of the staff, in their own feces, from dehydration, without a single pill of painful. Over the past few years, this is the largest scandal in the British healthcare. But the bidded budget and the ubiquitous bureaucracy forced the Minister of Health of the UK to admit that in every British medical institution there is something from Stafford.

Everything goes to the fact that the results of the investigation of the incidents in the Stafford Hospital will become a harsh sentence of the entire British health care system. But even despite the investigation and attention of the media to this case, there has been little in the hospital. Recently, a 4-month-old child, hospitalized due to respiratory impairment, shut up her mouth with a nipple and stuck with a sticky ribbon – so as not to disturb. The nurse, which is under investigation in this case, has already become the third employee of the Stafford Hospital, guilty of such violations.

The public is so agitated by what is happening that activists call on the government to immediately engage in the reform of the British health care – until it led to the next row of ridiculous deaths.

Medical In English Gloucestershire "Too busy" to feed patients

In Gloucestershire, one of the employees of NHS Trust hospitals gave an anonymous interview with the BBC, which complained about the terrible treatment of patients. "I think we have reached that limit when the staff becomes anyway," he said. An anonymous doctor who works at the Royal Hospitality of the Gloucestershire County and the Main Hospital of Cheltenham, said that he was horrified by the launched state of these institutions. He criticized the district hospital through the media, arguing that her higher management ignores his complaints.

The doctor leads as an example is the case of one patient, whose type issued "extreme exhaustion." The patient explained his condition to him by the fact that the nurses were "too busy" to feed it. A man could not eat independently, because he suffered a stroke, one hand was paralyzed, and the other was in the cast. Medic believes that low morality, ineffective micromyright and poor sponsoring contribute to such an oppressive atmosphere. "I saw a lot of people, the care of which was carried out just awful. There are really poor-quality medical care, "he said.

After the release of the article NHS Foundation TRUST tried to disappear from all the accusations. "I am disappointed that this person believes that the best way to emphasize their concern is to go to journalists," said Frank Harsgen, head of local hospitals. As for direct accusations, Harsgen said he was shocked with the case with his nurses that could not feed the patient. He also acknowledged that hospitals personnel feels the influence of measles measures, when people, among other things, sometimes delay the salary.

“However, I am absolutely confident that the quality of care provided to patients, their health and safety are of paramount importance to us and to our employees,” he said. – I have repeatedly received positive feedback from patients and their families. They said that the vast majority of our employees, including managers, are proud of their work and are ready to do everything possible for the well-being of patients.”

However, a BBC whistleblower in his interview also mentioned a "culture of intimidation". He claims that managers put pressure on lower-level employees. His fellow managers are told in a stern way that they should only do what they are told, without debate or discussion. Tanya Palmer, a member of Unison, the largest British trade union that unites public sector workers, supported the anonymous physician.

“I can say for sure that we have had many discussions with senior managers of local hospitals, and they say similar things. People say that they are asked to do work above or beyond their competence, and all objections are asked to be silenced and not complained. This is an unhealthy work culture,” she stressed.

British PM apologizes for death of 1,200 hospital patients

David Cameron apologized to the families of hundreds of people who died due to negligence and carelessness of doctors and staff. The victims of criminal treatment were ordinary British people who sought medical help at the main hospital in the city of Stafford. “We offer our sincere apologies for the leadership of the hospital and its staff, who failed to cope with their duties, did not treat and did not take care of patients properly,” the Prime Minister of Great Britain said.

The independent report was prepared by a well-known lawyer in the country, Robert Francis, with the help of a group of independent experts. The document describes the tragedies that the families and friends of the deceased patients had to endure. The revealed details from the life of the main city hospital in Stafford shocked the British public. The investigation covers the period from 2005 to 2008. It was on him that the peak of mortality among the sick fell. The author analyzed tens of thousands of documents from the archives of the hospital and the local office of the National Health Service. Francis interviewed 164 witnesses – relatives of the victims, as well as patients who experienced the quality of medical care in the institution, and officials responsible for what was happening.

“I heard so many shocking things during the investigation. People hoped for treatment, but experienced terrible moments, the memory of which will now accompany them until the end of their days, ”Robert Francis told reporters.

Facts of careless treatment, medical errors and negligence were revealed. Behind each of the cases is a lost human life or lost health forever.In this case, it was mainly the elderly who suffered, since they were often unable to demand attention to themselves. history Peter Burnhill told the BBC broadcaster. The 84-year-old Briton was having trouble breathing and was taken to the hospital. He was left to die in the corridor, where no one paid any attention to him. Only six hours later, when Burnhill began to choke and convulse, he was transferred to the ward. The condition of the Briton worsened, and a week later he died. The inattention of the hospital staff also cost the life of 86-year-old Bella Bailey, who was connected to a breathing machine. She died of suffocation because the nurses did not notice how the oxygen tanks ran out.

Mistakes happened many times with more qualified employees. Physicians misdiagnosed with frightening consistency, often because they were unwilling to delve into the details of test results. Joan Giles was diagnosed with kidney stones. What was the surprise of doctors when, after an autopsy of an unexpectedly deceased patient, it was discovered that she actually suffered from lymphoma. These and hundreds of other cases were made public in the UK before the investigation. So, last year, when a nurse taped a nipple to a 4-month-old baby's mouth, the police opened a criminal case against the hospital, and local newspapers circulated the story.

Officials finally stopped denying the existence of a systemic problem and its scale only after the publication of an independent report by Robert Francis and the subsequent forced apology of the country's prime minister. In the document, the authors consistently argue that the reason for the current situation in the Stafford Hospital lies in the fundamental shortcomings of the entire national health system. Despite numerous complaints, officials from higher authorities did not react to what was happening in the institution.

It took Francis three years to analyze all the nuances of the case. In his report, he not only told everything that he found out, but also proposed a number of measures so that this could not be repeated in other hospitals in the United Kingdom. “We have learned those hard lessons. We have gained experience and will use it to improve the quality of medical services for our citizens,” the British Prime Minister concluded in his speech, speaking to parliamentarians after the publication of the Francis report.

It is unprofitable for US hospitals to quickly and efficiently treat patients

US hospitals receive more money if operations go through with complications. This conclusion was reached by the authors of a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. “We found clear evidence that improving the quality of care in the modern healthcare system is not financially profitable,” said Sunell Ippen, chief physician of the Massachusetts Center for Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology.

According to medical estimates, up to $400 million is spent annually on operations in the United States.According to the study, the recovery of patients with severe complications provides clinics with 3 times more profit than the rapid recovery of people after successful surgery. Even in cases where bills are paid from the government's Medicare insurance program, organized to help the elderly and the disabled, such patients still turn out to be 2 times “profitable” for hospitals.

“The evidence shows that good work brings hospitals less money,” stated Harvard Medical School professor Arthur Gauande, one of the authors of the study. Despite the fact that scientists have developed a number of effective postoperative recovery techniques, practitioners are in no hurry to implement them. “Our research demonstrates that the national healthcare system needs to be reformed,” Gauande said. “Clinics should benefit financially from quality work.”

The authors of the report analyzed the statistics of 34 thousand cases in 256 hospitals. In total, each postoperative complication resulted in up to 1820 new paid procedures. Overall, recovery from failed surgeries cost an additional $39,017 per patient with private health insurance and $1,749 per Medicare member.

In cases where people paid out of their own pockets or through a special insurance program for the poor, the profits from such “medical errors” turned out to be several times lower. This led the authors of the report to conclude thatthen hospitals that specialize in treating the poor or those with no health insurance at all are even more interested in good results. Most of the elite medical centers in the US, by contrast, benefit financially from the additional suffering of patients.

From the Editor: And everywhere the topic of cruel sweatshops, the lack of normal rest and recovery of medical workers, as well as the shortage of personnel, are bypassed. There are strike bans for many medical units. It is possible to "engage" and sue a particular doctor or nurse, but who will condemn and change the system in which such responsible workers are forced to work at great speed, falling down from lack of sleep, constant stress and pressure from all sides? The doctor under capitalism is faced with a choice – to treat or earn on the misfortune of the patient. This is an invalid choice.