Advocate Klein
One thing's for sure: as morally outraged as they are about Americans without insurance, they aren't similarly indignant about Europeans, Canadians, Australians and New Zealanders without health care. And that's a shame - because they continually advocate that the U.S. adopt a nationalized, single-payer health care system like the ones in place in those countries. If they were truly concerned with health - as opposed to wealth redistribution - they might be morally outraged by stories like these:
Bed shortage nixes teen's life-saving heart surgery
A London family waiting for life-saving heart surgery for their 16-year-old daughter is angry after the operation was cancelled for a lack of hospital beds.
Julia de Zeeuw needs an operation to correct a narrowing in a heart valve.
The Grade 10 student was scheduled for surgery at Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children in late February, but the operation was cancelled only the day before.
Patient's patience runs out
PETER Horne's art was his life, but now he spends his time sitting and waiting for hand surgery to revive his career.
Despite being assessed as a category 2 patient -- meaning he should not wait more than 90 days for surgery -- the 61-year-old has already been on the waiting list at Royal Melbourne Hospital for more than two years.
The Ashburton artist has been disabled since rheumatoid arthritis crippled his hands, shoulder and left ankle following a white-tailed spider bite in 1994.
Mr Horne has been waiting since January 2005 to have reconstructive surgery to repair his hands, and though he has twice been booked in for the surgery, each time it has been cancelled at the eleventh hour.
Couple lodge complaint over cancelled op
A FAMILY today told how they were close to breaking point after a vital operation was put on hold three times.
Gordon and Gillian Harris, who care for their two adult disabled sons and Mrs Harris's severely disabled brother Tony Pople, told how Ipswich Hospital postponed a vital operation, causing the family distress and anxiety.
The operation, to remove a large hernia from Tony Pople's face, was due to take place on March 22 and the couple, of Edinburgh Gardens, Claydon, had arranged transport and the necessary provisions for Mr Pople who lives with a severe mental and physical disability.
But the day before the operation was set to take place the hospital called to postpone it.
13 Apr 2007 @ 9:36am