While doing his media thing in New York, Sarko weighed in on healthcare, saying,
“Welcome to the club of states who don’t turn their back on the sick and the poor,” Sarkozy said, referring to the U.S. health care overhaul signed by President Barack Obama last week.
From the European perspective, he said, “when we look at the American debate on reforming health care, it’s difficult to believe.”
“The very fact that there should have been such a violent debate simply on the fact that the poorest of Americans should not be left out in the streets without a cent to look after them … is something astonishing to us.”
Then to hearty applause, he added: “If you come to France and something happens to you, you won’t be asked for your credit card before you’re rushed to the hospital.”
That’s IF you get to the hospital. Poor Princess Diana wasn’t rushed to the hospital even when she was clearly injured in a car accident.
But let us take a look back at that statement of Sarko’s, compared to a few hard facts on France’s healthcare: Almost exactly four years ago I did a roundup of articles from the BBC on France’s disastrous healthcare situation:
Hundreds of French surgeons have begun a symbolic “exile” in Britain to demand the right to charge higher fees
Thousands of French health workers have held a one-day strike to protest against government plans to cut costs in the country’s health system.
Doctors, nurses and other health professionals have taken to the streets of Paris to protest against government plans to cut back on a health service which has a projected overspend this year of eight billion pounds.
15,000 elderly and frail dead during a heat wave in 2003
Aug 14, 2003With temperatures soaring above the 40C mark over a two-week period, France’s poorly-prepared hospitals never stood a chance,
since they lack air-conditioning.
Sept 9, 2003French doctors have angrily hit back at an official report which said their “massive” holiday exodus last month had contributed to the heatwave tragedy.
A widow is demanding to know why her husband lay dying in a French hospital for nine days without his family being informed, say reports
Gynaecologists in France are refusing to carry out ultrasound scans on pregnant women after a court found they could be liable should a disabled child be born.
A national strike of hospital workers was called on Monday to protest about staff shortages after the introduction of a 35-hour working week.
Doctors at French ski resorts are staging a 24-hour strike over complaints they are not paid enough for treating winter sports injuries.
The chronic shortage of doctors and medical personnel, the strikes, and the restricted treatments continue.
But, Sarko’s right: “Welcome to the club,” America.
Great post Fausta!
I don’t know about France, but my mother was in Portugal when the tragedy of 9/11th happened. Thus, all international flights were cancelled and she ended up having to stay in Portugal another week. Portugal also has socialized health care. She got sick and she was refused any type of treatment or even diagnostic visit simply due to the fact that she was not a Portuguese citizen,(even when she offered to pay) … she had to go through some friends and see a private doctor … yet in this country anyone can walk into an emergency room and receive treatment regardless of their “status” … I fear the unforeseen consequences of the “US” joining “the club”! 🙁
I wish you well 🙂 Melek
“Perhaps the worst consequence of ObamaCare is the expansion of a culture that depends upon government, and that teaches that government can bestow rights, whether to health care, education, a living wage, or all the other so-called rights listed in the socialists’ agenda.” ~ Henry Lamb
Sarko is sounding like there is a club in which all members follow the same rules. Yet the systems in France, Germany, and England are very different from one another. And all have financial problems. Even if your goal is universal coverage, anyone with half a brain would see a need to debate the pros and cons of different systems so that voters could decide on the tradeoffs they are willing to accept.
Instead, we had idiots promising utopia.