"The brutal truth about America’s healthcare" UK View (Independent)

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/the-brutal-truth-about-americarsquos-healthcare-1772580.html

The brutal truth about America’s healthcare

An extraordinary report from Guy Adams in Los Angeles at the music arena that has been turned into a makeshift medical centre


Saturday, 15 August 2009


GETTY IMAGES; AFP

The LA Forum in Inglewood, California, hosted dental and medical examinations, for thousands of people thanks to the charity Remote Area Medical.

They came in their thousands, queuing through the night to secure one of the coveted wristbands offering entry into a strange parallel universe where medical care is a free and basic right and not an expensive luxury. Some of these Americans had walked miles simply to have their blood pressure checked, some had slept in their cars in the hope of getting an eye-test or a mammogram, others had brought their children for immunisations that could end up saving their life.


In the week that Britain's National Health Service was held aloft by Republicans as an "evil and Orwellian" example of everything that is wrong with free healthcare, these extraordinary scenes in Inglewood, California yesterday provided a sobering reminder of exactly why President Barack Obama is trying to reform the US system.

The LA Forum, the arena that once hosted sell-out Madonna concerts, has been transformed – for eight days only – into a vast field hospital. In America, the offer of free healthcare is so rare, that news of the magical medical kingdom spread rapidly and long lines of prospective patients snaked around the venue for the chance of getting everyday treatments that many British people take for granted.

a bill that would provide all Californians with health and dental care.

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I lived in San Diego from 1979 to 1980

visited one of the VA hospitals there.

Was horrified by what I saw, and the stories told to me by the vets.

If the USA won't treat its own citizens decently,

How do we expect it to treat the rest of the World?

We could always ask Afghanistan and Iraq . . .

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This should be a huge embarrassment to our country. Other developed nations are laughing at the mighty USA, who won't take care of it's citizens, but continues to finance their empire building.


A huge hug to all the health care professionals that gave their time! :grouphug:

And a clear eyed, well written article. K&R :kick:

...as we are about 19th century insane asylums, orphanages, and textile mills.

On the other hand, keep that in mind the next time you feel tempted to judge people from the past too quickly.

and you expect them to remember the 19th century? If they did, we would not be the laughing stock of the world.

From where I stand, the US only cares about one thing... number one...

And until that changes in the culture... no cigar.

program. When I heard about this on Bill Maher's show, I immediately thought "Wow they should come to here(Vegas), i bet people would be lined up around the block." We desperately need real change to our health care system so the poor and underinsured are not shut out.