Today’s topic is something that happens quite regularly, I must say. Especially in my corner of the world. This is a place where you even have to pay before you’ll be allowed to have a bed in the hospital, so you can lie down. It’s that bad. You could be dying, right in front of them, but if you’re unable to pay the fees that are required of you, then you’d just have to figure out how you’d survive, because they really don’t care about you.
Money is king, and it determines a lot of things. And sad as it might be, most hospitals are built to make money. The only hospitals that are built genuinely to cater to the needs of the people with no profit in mind are government hospitals and clinics, which is why they’re also usually the worst when it comes to how well they are equipped.
Every other hospital is built for profit. Because how else will it be run? The doctors and nurses have to be paid. Other staff also need their salary. There is the cost of doing business. Maintenance, petrol… and all that! So much goes into making this work. And so, who bears the brunt? The patients. They pay through their noses for services.
While I can understand why many hospitals prioritize money over their patients, after all, many would try to run off after they’re better, and the hospital may have no way of tracking them down. And without these payments, how will they keep the lights on at the hospital? That’s a good question, right??
But this is also where I draw the line. For me, it just seems cruel that you can turn down a sick patient or withhold a much-needed surgery simply because the person can’t afford it. After all, all doctors took an oath to save a life no matter what, are some condemned simply because they can’t afford the cost of good medical care? How is that fair?
I feel that this is an issue that should be handled by the government. We need regulatory bodies on this so that people can get treated, and there will be measures in place to ensure that everyone pays their bill eventually. No matter what.
Life should be sacred, and the quality of the life you live shouldn’t be determined by the amount of money in your bank account. The medical industry shouldn’t be focused only on making money, but also on trying to figure out ways in which people can be helped more easily. Because in the end, what we really need is for everyone to have access to quality healthcare.
What can be more important than that?
Thank you for reading. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below, I would love to know what you’re thinking. Till we meet in the next post.
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