A couple of months ago, on a sunny morning I tripped over an uneven sidewalk and required emergency cares. Contrary to all the horrible stories I heard on unsatisfactory yet costly health cares, the timely treatment I received from a local hospital was nothing but professional. And I am sure that four subsequent visits to a specialist and many x-rays during the month after the initial emergency care had also helped me recover quickly from this minor injury.
Certainly I have no qualms on the competent cares I had received at that hospital. I am also grateful for having a reliable medical plan to fall back on when I need it. But I do remember a previous emergency room visit about three decades ago. During a night I spent at the hospital ward and following six or seven weeks I hobbled on one good leg, I did not remember that I had the cares from that many medical professionals.
But on that day during the six hours I was at the hospital, I was provided with cares from at least ten hospital staffs that included a most apologetic doctor. Each of the staff members performed their specialized assignment on me. The care team of the day included receptionists, nurses, nurse-aides, and technicians. They admitted me, x-rated me, wheeled me, and prepared me for intravenous drips. In addition before I was discharged, a group of four led by the aforementioned physician set a clay cast over the broken bones while I was sedated.
When I was on the gurney waiting for treatment, many thoughts, mostly depressing ones, came upon me. One of them was why healthy care costs had risen so much over the years. At this time our health insurance premium is still affordable. But it may reach to a point when we no longer can afford to be sick.
On that eventful day I had certainly wondered and was somewhat convinced that fine division of labor and specialization in care are not the best prescriptions to rein in the exorbitant amount of money we, both the government and the patients, must spend on health related services. - Ayee
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