Als ehemaliger, langjähriger Pferdebesitzer kann ich
aus Erfahrung folgendes sagen: wenn man als Großtierhalter einen Veterinär
braucht, weil das Tier ernsthaft krank ist, beispielsweise Schmerzen hat oder
sonst wie leidet, ruft man bei seinem Tierarzt an und dieser kommt sobald als
möglich persönlich vorbei. Auch wenn es nach 16 Uhr ist, oder mitten in der
Nacht. Darauf kann man sich verlassen. Er kommt auch an Wochenenden oder
Feiertagen, am Sonntag in der Nacht, um 3 Uhr morgens, - egal wann. Hat der
Tierarzt einmal Urlaub, ist selbst krank oder sonst wie verhindert, kommt eine
ebenso kompetente Vertretung. Auch darauf kann man sich verlassen.
Jetzt könnte man natürlich sagen: „Wenn man erst mal
Schmerzmittel gegeben hat kann es ja nicht mehr so schlimm sein. Geht doch mal
für zweieinhalb Tage!“ Tja, aber wenn die Schmerzmittel nicht wirken? Oder wenn
niemand da ist, der kompetent und erfahren genug ist um das passende
Schmerzmittel herauszufinden? Oder wenn die jeweiligen Mittel nicht vertragen
werden und schwere Nebenwirkungen auftreten, die wohlmöglich die noch
ausstehende Diagnose verschleiern? Was dann?
Abgesehen von ethischen Gründen stehen auch dort teure
Diagnose-Geräte still (Radiologie etc) und Laboratorien samt teurer Ausstattung
bleiben ungenutzt.
Es kann doch nicht sein, dass so viele Menschen so
unheimlich viel Geld in Krankenkassen einzahlen, regelmäßig und über lange
Zeiträume und dann nach ca. 16h (im Krankenhaus) und nach ca. 18h (in
Arztpraxen) nicht mehr angemessen versorgt werden können weil niemand mehr da
ist. Es handelt sich bei diesem Sachverhalt nicht um den Versuch nach Ladenschluss
noch Butter zu kaufen, sondern um Krankheit und Leiden…Aber halt! – Supermärkte
sind immerhin bis 20h voll besetzt!
Bleibt gesund!
BerylliumN
N° 23 I wish I was a cow, or: Human Medicine
As a once long-time horse owner, I can gladly report the following: if
you phone your vet because your animal is seriously ill and/or in pain, you can
be sure he will come. You can rely on him showing up in person as soon as
possible, regardless of the time of day, - he will attend to the suffering
animal after 4 p.m., on weekends, holidays, during the night... If he/she is
prevented for any reason there will be a substitute as skilled as he/she is.
You can also rely on that.
Should his equippment not suffice for adequate treatment, a
hospitalisation will be induced. Once you transported your animal to the
vet-hospital, the professionals there take over and, - also regardless of the
time of day (or night), the patient will be treated with great care and concern
from everybody involved, from the doctor himself to assistants to nursing
stuff. A little side-note: the expences aren’t as exorbitant as one might
fear...
On the other hand...if you happen to be human, things appear to be quite
different. If you get ill after about 6 p.m. you’ll surely have a problem. Even
more so if this misfortune happens to you on a Friday evening, a weekend, a
holiday, during school holidays or around x-mas time (in between years). Gosh!
You will be so doomed! Unless of course
your situation is acutely life-threating.
But everybody knows we can suffer a lot without our lives being in
immediate danger. In addition to that it could make a significant difference to
the course of disease if you get a precise and prompt diagnosis. In order to
achieve that, might be necessary to consult competent specialists (e.g
neurologist, orthopaedist, etc.). If this was done as soon as possible negative
developments could be avoided, affliction could be minimised or at least
abbreviated... Think about it. Everbody who ever had serious toothache,
headache, or a slipped disc knows how long even a single hour can be, let alone
24h, or maybe over 60 hours from Friday evening to Monday morning! Of course
one could argue now: once the patient got some painkiller it’s not too bad
anymore, it should do for 2 days. Well, but if the painkillers don’t have
enough effect? What if there’s nobody there who is sufficiently competent to
choose the appropriate drugs? Or if severe side effects occur who might obscure
the diagnosis which is not yet made? What then?
I think it is bizarre that in industrial production lines it should be
possible to have a professional 24 hours working process with 3-shift-turns, if
need be even 7 days a week, for example to make sure some expensive material
wouldn’t cool down to much or to use expensive machinery to capacity. But in
health care where there is life quality and suffering at stake, that is not
possible?!
Apart from ethic reasons there is also expensive machinery standing
still (radiology etc.) and lab-equipment left unused.
There should be enough health professionals and laboratory workers who
are willing to work under shift – rotating conditions if they are appropriatly
payed. And I do not mean minimalistic
emergency case procedures! It certainly would be best to include the whole
medical staff, from physician to nurse, to lab-assistant in the process of
defining optimal working conditions for everyone (patients and again:
physicians, nurses, laboratory staff).
It is unbelievable that so many people should pay so much money in
health insurances over long periods of their lives and then can’t get adequate
medical treatment after 4 p.m. (in hospitals) or around 6 p.m. (in surgery).
After all it’s not the same issue as trying to buy fresh milk after shop
closing time...but hang on! Supermarkets are open until 8 p.m...! With staff
and all...yeah!
Isn’t there a lot of potential in it to create new employment? Wouldn’t
it be a good idea to invest public money where it actually serves the public
(health)? One might argue that medical care is in a very good state in Germany
compared to other countries. But I think this attitude only keeps us from
striving to become a brandmark for first class medical care and maybe setting
new standards.
Anyway, isn’t it so, that by raising employment there will be more money
coming in on taxes and social insurances? And isn’t it so, that everybody who
once has been severely ill, or everybody who’s beloved family-member has been
severely ill knows how very important professional and accessible health care
can become?
Well, in the moment you seem to be more fortunate if you have a
veterinary on your side, if you are a valuable dairy cow or a precious race
horse. In these parts it seems to be a well known fact that illness does not
know opening hours, a 9h to 5h week, holidays, weekends, school-holidays or
x-mas times... L
Stay well!
BerylliumN
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