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Looks like Small Town's hospital is not exactly an exception.

Over there at Fainting in Coyles, Terrance tells the story of his father, unlucky enough to be ill and in France.

3 bathroom for 51 patients, but all of them used as storage rooms anyway? The best - and particularly expensive - health care system in the world is starting to look like the one of a third rate Soviet republic.

Lamentable.

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Il semble bien que l'hôpital de Petite Ville ne soit pas exactement une exception.

Là-bas sur Fainting in Coyles, Terrance nous raconte l'histoire de son père, suffisamment malchanceux pour être malade et en France.

3 salles de bain pour 51 patients, mais toutes utilisées comme entrepôt de toutes manières ? Le meilleur - et surtout coûteux - système de santé du monde commence à ressembler à celui d'une république soviétique de seconde zone.

Lamentable.

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the dissident frogman

I own, built and run this place. In a previous life I was not French but sadly, I died.

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Comments thread (41)

616 - Valerio

Valerio
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hope u like this! LOL http://www.corriere.it/Media/Foto/2003/08_Agosto/27/vignetta.jpg

617 - ConcernedAmerican

ConcernedAmerican
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As someone with an intimate knowledge of the US healthcare system, Terrance is luckier than the 40 million Americans whom can't afford it. Please check your facts too, no nation on this planet spends more on healthcare as a propotion of GDP than the U.S, we spend so much and get precious little in return: http://www.csmonitor.com/2003/0218/p16s01-coop.html excerpts: Healthcare spending in 2001 accounted for 14.1 percent of the US gross domestic product (GDP), the nation's total output of goods and services. By 2012, that share will rise to 17.7 percent, projects the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, a federal agency in Baltimore. [...] One curious fact is that the hugely expensive US healthcare system - more than $4,500 a person, versus $2,000 per capita for the average OECD spending level - hasn't made Americans, on average, longer-lived. Life spans in most industrial nations are a year or two longer. And most of them have relatively more smokers.

618 - the dissident frogman

the dissident frogman France
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ConcernedAmerican: I'm not going to discuss your numbers (although it may be interesting to learn from somebody with an intimate knowledge of the US healthcare system where these 40 millions of Americans go when they're either sick or dying. Shall I assume that bodies are piling up in the streets?) because this kind of rhetoric is typical of the constant French propaganda (congratulation) I mentioned in the previous post, and all I could answer honestly would be something along the line of: "So? What's your point exactly?" Indeed, before I "check my facts" as you put it, (and before you tell us what kind of facts I'm supposed to check considering that you're challenging my post by shifting to an issue - the US health care - that's not the one I addressed in the article - the French one) I suggest you check your argumentation and tell me how could any aspect of the American health care system makes the French one better and less expensive in absolute value (considering additionally the "slight" difference of income between the average French and American, but that's just a detail really and still not the point.) Else, well, I have news for you: I have enough of the "You shouldn't complain/you should be happy because it's much worse everywhere else" arguments around here to keep me busy before I go check by myself if the grass is greener in Dallas' hospital. In the meantime, bodies are piling up in refrigerated trucks on French parking lots and 51 people have only three shower rooms that aren't usable since they're used as cupboards. Care to comment about that? Or did you post here just to fulfill your daily "Blame America first" assignment, even when America has nothing to do with it? Yep, I'd say it's a bit amiss and inappropriate today, if you ask me.

619 - Guillaume

Guillaume
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And, as far as I know (my sources are some american people, so a priori they know better than me, and are as valuable as any other sources), the state pays for health care in case someone arrives at the hospital and can't afford it. And, on the other hand, there are much more AC systems in america, which means that such a thing won't happen, or at least in lower proportions. And, it is strange that we're the only country in the area who sufferred so many deaths. Maybe we have our own Hadley cell, and were the only ones to suffer from bad weather. Another french exception culturelle or is that america's fault? What about the unclaimed bodies? Isn't it because everybody thinks that is is up to the "welfare state" to take care of them? Has it has been said at page libérale, it is obvious that since solidarity is now a state matter, who really cares about it?

620 - Dann

Dann
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"And, on the other hand, there are much more AC systems in america, which means that such a thing won't happen, or at least in lower proportions." may someone explains me the "AC system" please ? for i can understand the meaning of this sentence :)

621 - Val

Val
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Concerned American, I cannot speak for where YOU live, but here in Texas NO ONE is turned away from a hospital. Ambulances come straight across the border from Mexico and dump off people--and we don;t turn them away either. I too have intimate knowlledge of our health care system and I will take IT any day over what passed for health care in France over the last 3 weeks. And yes, the grass is greener in Dallas. Because we water it. We also cool the patients in the summer and keep them warm in the winter. (Granted its not cold by French standards, but we keep 'em warm!) Again, my sincere sympathy to the caring families such as yours DF who had to watch helplessly such suffering.

622 - ConcernedAmerican

ConcernedAmerican
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tell me how could any aspect of the American health care system makes the French one better and less expensive in absolute value Like I mentioned before 40 million Americans are without health insurance, how many French can claim such a prestigious honor? Are you vaguely aware of the prohibitive costs of prescription medications in the US? That's why MILLIONS of Americans get their medical subscriptions filled in (oh God) socialist Canada! Have you compared US mortality rates/ Life expectancy versus any other industrialized nation? Did you know that Japan, which has an infant mortality rate that is half that of the United States and a life expectancy average 5.2 percent better, pays only 44 percent of what Americans pay? Are you aware that Americans pay twice as much per-capita in medical costs, roughly $4,000 per person compared to others covered by "socialized" medical systems. Are you aware that private U.S. insurance companies on average take 14 percent in administrative costs, that's just paper work costs to handle the behemoth that US healtcare has become. America's for-profit healthcare does not match up with market myths about efficiency and service. Instead it is marked by lack of choice and massive corporate welfare. Sure America is great and I consider myself lucky that I was born here, still I do not let that cloud my judgement or engage in knee jerk bashing of other nations or peoples culture. So the French do not embrace air conditioning, who cares? When I was an officer in the Army my offices in Germany did not have air conditioning, neither did my quarters or those of my men, we understood it was a cultural thing and didn't whine about it. I enjoy reading your board from time to time, I use it mainly to improve my French skills and for the most part just lurk, but this is one topic I couldn't resist sharing my input. Regards, CA

623 - the dissident frogman

the dissident frogman France
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CA: Thanks for today's row of "Blame America First". Just wondering: what part of "in absolute value" don't you understand?

624 - ConcernedAmerican

ConcernedAmerican
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Concerned American, I cannot speak for where YOU live, but here in Texas NO ONE is turned away from a hospital. Ambulances come straight across the border from Mexico and dump off people--and we don;t turn them away either. Hospitals in the US are prohibited from deny critical care to whomsoever needs it. The fact that they are arriving in an ambulance leads me to believe that this is emergency care. Did you know that the leading cause of personal bankruptcies in the US is hospital bills? They won't turn you away but by God they will follow you up for payment. I too have intimate knowlledge of our health care system and I will take IT any day over what passed for health care in France over the last 3 weeks. Same here. But the French case was compounded by unseasonal weather conditions and lack of air conditioning systems. And yes, the grass is greener in Dallas. Because we water it. We also cool the patients in the summer and keep them warm in the winter. I have been to Dallas several times, but was irked by the fact that I had to travel to the next county just to get a bottle of wine. I do love San Antonio ;) I'm from Minnesota. Regards, CA

625 - ConcernedAmerican

ConcernedAmerican
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Thanks for today's row of "Blame America First". Just wondering: what part of "in absolute value" don't you understand? Sorry Frogman, I'm just going by OECD statistics: http://www.oecd.org/document/39/0,2340,en_2649_201185_2789735_1_1_1_1,00.html http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/10/20/2789777.pdf http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/10/20/2789777.pdf http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/10/20/2789777.pdf I don't understand why you fell the need to engage in ad hominems, i'm not as you say "blaming America first" (whatever that means). Let's just stick to the argument. Please provide links to your statistics. Regards, CA

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