snip:
Just visit a hospital, or talk to a
> physician
> in Russia and other Soviet block countries - you'd rather sit home
> and die
> than let them care for you.
I had the distinct priveledge of spending five days in March in a
Soviet hospital after breaking my leg skiing. (So that's where your
missions money is going!) I'm not sure that most people would rather
die at home, although some certainly prefer to.
In my case nothing happened until the doctor
chased everyone out of the room except my friend and then asked him for
a bribe, explaining how he doesn't get paid enough to feed his family.
My friend slipped him $20 and he began attending to my leg. After
presumably setting the bone and putting a cast on me, I was wheeled
down the hall to the room I would be staying. My American friend
nearly fainted when he saw the room. I have been here a few years and
thought I knew what to expect, but this was worse. The sheets on the
sagging bed, although originally white, were now a work of modern art
in greens, reds, yellows, and browns, togher with blood stains. Perhaps
they had been washed a few times this year, but certainly not recently.
Being a good capitalist, I got a brillant idea and asked if they had
not recently opened up a for pay section. Yes, in fact they had, but
since I hadn't asked about it in time, I would only be able to move to
it the next day as the doctor who decided such questions had already
gone home for the evening (i.e. You broke your leg too late - you
should have broken it on the first run if you wanted the for pay
rooms!) This guy also wanted a bribe but since they had taken my pants
away I had no money any more! Finally I persuaded him that "For Pay"
meant "for money" not "by permission of the highest ranking physician".
After sufficient complaining the guy relented and took me upstairs
where I lay for five days in relative comfort on a Canandian made
humanitarian aid hodspital bed. It ended up costing about $10/day and
the service was reasonable, at least according to my standards which
have been dramaticaly lowered by five years of post Soviet life.
I know a friend who whose daughter had life threatening appendicitis.
the doctors, who are supposed to do it for free told him in no
uncertain terms, if you want her to live, you will give us a gift of
$200.
Anti-communists, please understand that this is the REMAINS of a
socialist system. It did work slightly better in the past, although I
wasn't here to directly observe how much better.
My wife has managed to give birth in Oxford, Singapore, and Kazakhstan
and I think she would rank the systems in this order: Singapore,
England, and former Soviet. We have yet to try America. It is too
expensive.
Fred Phelps IV
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