It might become boring, but I think I am on a personal crusade, in regards to health care.

There are many who believe in Private Health versus National Health, versus Univeral Health. And there is a difference between National & Univeral Care, in case you were wondering.

Why?

I suppose the simplest answer is, that I am now 54 years old, and mother is 92 years old. And HER health is not getting better, so my inter action with our health services is growing. In other words, I am not a Doctor, nor a Nurse, and my involvement with our Health Care is from the perspecitive of one using it. 

Maybe that makes a difference, maybe not. The point is, at some point in everyone’s life, they are going to need health care. If you are young, just starting out, you may not think you will, but rest assured, YOU WILL.

For example did you know that Canada is ranked  THIRTY (30) in the world, and the giant to the south of us, the United States is ranked THIRTY SEVEN (37) ? ( source )

After spending some time just yesterday, in our emergency care system, I can honestly tell you, that growing old, is not something our health services knows how to deal with. And let us be honest, WE ARE ALL GOING TO REACH THAT STAGE OF LIFE.  The point is, we do not treat our Seniors with respect, with dignity. We treat them, and most other patients, BY THE NUMBERS.

To me, that somehow seems wrong.

Here in British Columbia, the Provincial Government announced that Naturpathetic Practioners, can legally now dispense or authorize the dispensing of prescription medication.  It is interesting, as we head into a provincial election, at the timing of this new direction, for BC Med.

In addition, roles of midwives and registered nurses has been expanded, and being a cynic, it makes me wonder a little more, about our society, and its desire for quick and easy answers.

“Expanding the role of midwives, registered nurses and naturopathic physicians allows B.C.’s health system to offer more options for patients,” Abbott said in a news release. ( source – CBC News )

My biggest concern, is who is going to monitor all this increased number of people, that can write prescriptions for drugs. How many of these new people, are qualified to determine which drug is best, and how do we insure that the drug companies can’t take advantage of this influx of new prescribers?

Won’t even mention that pharmacists now can automatically renew prescriptions, but it does make you wonder, if somehow, we just aren’t opening a whole pandora’s box here?

Don’t get me wrong, it is just the cynic in me, as I do deal with pharmacists, and nurses these days. After all, mother is 91 and her health isn’t improving. So I rather think I have a bit of an insight into how things work, and maye how they should work.

For example, we have a home care nurse in once a week, to keep an eye on her, which is good. Problem is that we have had more than one. There are multiple nurses who have visited, which is okay, except each time, I have to go through the litany of what her condition is, what medication she takes, and all that.

In an emergency situation, that knowledge, or lack of it, may be the difference between her surviving, or not.

It is in her records, the charts they keep, and yet they come, unaware of what her condition is. And now they are going to be able to prescribe medication, in an emergency situation. That might be good in the ER, but not in my home.  Least not unless it’s one who has been here before, as new one’s, simply seem to not have bothered to have read her chart, before showing up.

AND THAT IS REALLY THE PROBLEM HERE, WITH THE ENTIRE EXPANSION OF WHO CAN, WHO CAN’T PRESCRIBE DRUGS.

Full disclosure of what a drug does, doesn’t do, and its possible side effects, and inter reaction with other medications, needs to be clearly outlined, for patients, and their care givers.  THAT IS NOT BEING DONE.

I grant you that no one person can know it all. However, to expand the number of people who can offer one prescription medication, should also include an automatic expansion of what knowledge is made available to them. In addition, there MUST BE added checks put into place, to insure someone isn’t adding medication that is in conflict with drugs already being taken.

ATIVAN is one such drug, that is supposed to be good for people, unless they are elderly, unless they aren’t suffering from seizures, and other assorted issues. YET THAT IS WHAT WAS PRESCRIBED FOR BOTH MY MOTHER & FATHER IN THE HOSPITAL BY A DOCTOR.

Now we are going to let Nurses, Pharmacists, and God knows who else, prescribe drugs?  Not too sure, I am happy with this obvious political ploy, by the Campbell government.

Kickbacks from drug companies, worries me. So does the natural order of things, when it comes to money. People tend to get greedy, or at least their morals get a bit weakened, when a pile of quick cash is available to them. Just look at our elected officials for proof of that.

Nice to see change, BUT, how is it all going to be monitored? Over prescribing of drugs is already a huge issue, and I am worried that this opening up of the who gets a precritption pad, will only ascerbate that situation. And it is a real one, and yet there is barely a mention, about the balances, checks, that will be put into place?

Will there be more scrutiny of prescriptions meds, or will it remain, as it is, now? Are new inspectors going to be added to monitor the use of drugs, or of what drugs naturapaths prescribe? AND that kind of is at odds too, with the whole concept of holisitic medicine, and naturalpaths. I mean, what drugs would they need to prescribe, if their treatment is supposed to be all natural?

I doubt if there isn’t anyone above the age of fourteen who doesn’t know that single use syringes are just that, for single use and that you toss them away after being used. Yet it appears, that Nurses & Doctors, who should know better, are being cost conscious and RE USING SINGLE USE SYRINGES FOR PATIENTS. Now I don’t know, but it shouldn’t even be a single instance of it, let alone be WIDESPREAD.

First five years of my ancient life was in High Prairie, and to hear about this happening there, is well rather sad. Worse is to find that the Alberta Health Minister is warning ALL PROVINCIAL COUNTERPARTS that it could be happening in their jurisdictions. This coming after Saskatchewan informed they found a Doctor doing it as well.

And these people call themselves HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS.

The publicity surrounding the announcements has revealed the practice wasn’t just limited to High Prairie.

On Thursday, health officials in Saskatchewan and Alberta announced a physician who practises at hospitals in Lloydminster, Sask. and Vermilion, Alta, had been using single-use syringes in the same manner.

Late Friday afternoon, officials with the Prince Albert Parkland Health Region in central Saskatchewan announced the mental health outpatients division had been reusing syringes to inject medication directly into IV bags. (source - CBC News)

Granted, this isn’t something to panic over, unless of course you are one of the victims of these health care professionals. And the same people who watch over these professionals, are very quick to point out that the risk of infection of things like HIV, Hepatitis B & C are low, I wonder how they would feel if it was their family member who may have been exposed to those diseases?

There isn’t a single Doctor in British Columbia who earns under a hundred grand a year, and Nurses start at about $40, 000.00 a year, and I have to wonder, what the hell are we paying them for? But you know, money aside, it is unbelievable to me that any so called PROFESSIONAL would even consider re-using a syringe, under any circumstances.

I was taught way back when I was growing up, that when you got hired to do a job, you did your very best at it. You may not enjoy it, you may not like it even, and you might even think you are worth a whole lot more than what you are being paid, but you agreed, so you give it your all, you do the very best at it. If it pisses you off, you look for another job, and move on, but as long as you are employed at that job, you give it your best.

MAN IS THAT SO FAR NOT HOW IT IS TODAY.

I really don’t have a problem with a Nurse or Doctor or Orderly, believing they are worth more than what they are paid. I have no problem with Teachers wanting more money to teach kids to read, write, and add. WHAT I DO HAVE A PROBLEM WITH is that they aren’t willing to do their very best, for what they originally agreed was a good salary. I mean come on, no one goes to school hoping that when they graduate, that the salary structure will have increased a hundred fold, or that some super new perks will have been included in all new employment contract.

A person entering Medicine today, knows full well what to expect. The fees aren’t hidden, or hard to find out, so they decide to become a Doctor, and suddenly, when they graduate, they are outraged at the low pay? I MEAN COME ON, GROW UP HERE. They knew before the five or seven year school stint, what the fees where, so they decided it was worth it. Suddenly it isn’t? BULLSHIT!

Now while everyone has their panties in a knot, it is strange to note that not everyone exposed is being tested. Another example of how nameless government officials are making decisions they have no business to make. Sure, being contacted and told you need to get tested isn’t going to be good news, but you know, it isn’t their choice to make. It is up to those who were exposed to the risk.

It will be interesting to see what our new Health Minister will have to say about this situation. Course that assumes she’ll even say anything, but you would hope she would. Then again, maybe she doesn’t have the joke repertoire that Agriculture Minister Ritz has, so she won’t say anything until she hires a joke writer.

Problem is, it isn’t a laughing or joking matter. I really wonder, what else is being covered up, or what else is being mis-used? If we can’t trust our Doctors & Nurses to do the right thing, who can we trust? Makes me worry & wonder, when our own Doctor says something about sticking to this or that drug. Does he know, does he care, or is he too cutting corners? After all, who doesn’t know that you never, ever, re-use syringes?

In North Carolina, a mental patient died. Not big news now is it, but then it seems that this patient died, while attending professional care givers, Nurses, were a bit busy having a good round of cards. Yeah, you read that right. This guy was left in a chair for about 22 hours, so the story claims, without anyone bothering to feed him, or let him go to the bathroom even.

Video showed hospital staff watching television and playing cards while Sabock was in the same room. One technician hugged and kissed another staff member and appeared to be dancing. (source – CBS News)

It amazes me really, at how these things seem to be becoming more common place. I don’t understand people. Seriously why do you take a job as a Nurse, go through all that training, then ignore your obligations? And let’s be honest here, this isn’t about one bad apple either. It is about a Hospital administration that fudged records too, that had several staff who could have helped, ignore the needs of this patient.

I haven’t seen this degree of abuse, but from my own experiences with Hospital Staff, I seriously wonder if this isn’t just the tip of the iceberg? I mean how can anyone be a Nurse, and fail to show common sense in dealing with patients. I know from my own experience, that they use the excuse of being too busy, of being overworked, but I have to honestly say, that is utter BULL.

If you have time to watch television, to dance around, or to play cards, you have the time necessary to check on the patients under your care. You have time to see if they ate their food, you have time to see if they are responsive or not. This isn’t rocket science, and yet the Government Agency responsible is simply giving the facility, a State Facility by the way, two weeks to come up with a plan on how to prevent future incidents.

I have a plan, doesn’t take me two weeks either to come up with it.

FIRE THE BASTARDS WHO WERE ON DUTY, CHARGE THEM WITH CRIMINAL NEGLIGENCE LEADING TO DEATH.

Bet that once you do that once or twice, the rest of those Facilities will suddenly be doing a lot better at caring for their patients, than they are now. I mean isn’t it time that these people became responsible for their actions? Why is it that they blame poor administration, poor working conditions? Maybe some of that is true, but you know what, even if all they got was a dollar a day, they agreed to it. They took the job, they knew the pay, they knew what the hours were and how many patients they had to deal with. So let’s cut the crap, and start doing the job one chose to do.

No, not for a running mate for Obama, but for a Doctor for Mother, and I suppose for myself and David as well. It is strange, to have to fill out an ‘application form’ from someone you are buying service from. And let me say, the forms are a lot more intense than if you are applying for a job, and I simply don’t understand it.

It makes me wonder at what has happened to traditional family values. Seriously, there is so much talk by the politicians about ‘family values’, about ‘traditional values’ that I have to wonder, just what values do they refer to? Is it the value of who can make them the most bucks, who can give them the better leg up on the competition, or is it about compassion, charity, respect?

I used to believe that Doctors and Nurses were about healing, about caring. I feel that is no longer a consideration among many of these so called professionals. I mean I got more sympathy or understanding perhaps, from the secretary of our local MLA[1. Member of Legislature] than I did from our own family doctor’s nurses, and that just seems wrong to me.

I mean we were a ‘customer’ for 13 years, and it seems that even that doesn’t count. And you know, why should we even be looked at as a customer? I know, they call us ‘patients’ but somehow it just seems all too commercial. For example, no one told me that if we don’t get our medical records from our old doctor, that they put them into some medical storage firm, and it costs about $200 per patient to get them out.  Now, I mean come on, like that is really nice of them, to keep that little tid bit hidden.

They don’t say how long they keep our records, just to call them and get them ready if we find a new Doctor, not if we have 10 days, 30 days, or whatever. Then to not even tell us that if we don’t get them out by a certain date, they go to storage and there is a fee to get them out. Now I am not objecting to there being a fee for storing them, just that NO ONE TOLD US THAT.

So it looks like more ‘paperwork’ and I wonder, isn’t this all costing someone something? Maybe we are so afraid of what might be, we try to cover our asses so much, we forget our purpose. I mean, okay things can get out of hand with lawsuits, but one of the principles of Universal Health Care, is protecting the Doctors and Nurses from unreasonable legal exposure. Yet it seems, that in doing so, we are adding to the financial cost, and forgetting, that irrespective of age, people are entitled to care, to respect, and when you look at the world around, at Burma and how inept the Government is, you wonder if our own political leaders aren’t wishing they too could just ignore the sick and the elderly.