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John H.[_3_]

On Fri, 4 Jan 2008 05:16:12 -0800 (PST), wrote:

On Jan 3, 5:39*pm, Jim wrote:
Short Wave Sportfishing wrote:
Woman waits in California hospital for a bed to open up here
Wednesday, January 02 - 11:30:00 AM

A friend of mine, here in the good 'ol USA, dislocated his knee a week
and a half ago. *Had to wait a week for the MRI and has a meeting with
the surgeon next Monday. *He's in intense pain and can't walk at all.

He's a veteran and has a good HMO (Pacific Care).

Is our system really that good?

Awhile back, I came very close to dying. I have very good insurance. I
waited in the emergency room for six hours, then two hours in triage,
then another day and a half before a surgical suite would be available
for the surgeon to get me in. It was so close at the end that he came
and personally checked on me every half hour.

I find it hard to believe that Jim's friend didn't receive any pain killers
when he went to the emergency room.

A week for an MRI and another couple days for an orthopedic surgeon is
nothing. A couple months for each would be the story in many places, *if*
he was lucky.

You were either not close to dying, or you were quickly stabilized in the
emergency room. *Or*, which may be possible, you had a potful of illegal
immigrants clogging up the whole show.

You guys complain of waits of hours or days. Imagine waits of months and
more months, and then flying to another country to get yourself fixed.
--
John H