The cost of medical services.

[Tony Taylor]

Hang in there Des, you will be fine.

Had a GP for over 20 years, great guy who took to making sure all his patients got the best of treatment.
Knew all the specialists and where they were, sorted my Prostate problem no worries,
But he retired, as they do, and I am now on my third GP since.
He is an Indian, but very professional, unlike the other one he vary rarely indulges in conversation other than what the consultation is about.
Like so many things now, they are changing and while he treats my problems me the personal touch is not there.

Our current gov. is now talking about tightening up the requirement for doctors to speak goo English, how many years has that taken? However, that won't change the scenario much as what could happen is that most of our population would need English lessons also; can you imagine someone fresh from the subcontinent having to listen to a patient in deepest Scouseland or Geordies etc. and understand what they are on about.
Actually its not just doctors, my 12 year old grandson says all the kids in his school have problems understanding the many Nigerian teachers they now have.

[Rodney Mills]

It's the same here in the U.S. as far as an influx of Indian trained doctors. They still have to pass the USA medical qualifications to practice here. I have asked one of my doctors "How come there are so many Indian doctors now?" He gave a little thought to the problem and gave me a one-word answer...."Grades".

I gave a little thought to that and asked various people for further information, and I got answers that summed up to: The amount of time you had to put into becoming a GP, General Practitioner. One could suck it up and do another 2 years and you can become a specialist.

I asked another specialist, what makes one become a specialist in a particular field? And the summation I got was again grades. I said to one, I can't imagine anybody saying "When I grow up, I want to be a proctologist and spend the rest of my life poking up rearends or a
chiropractor examining feet. Again, it seemed the medical school, and the reputation of the hospital one does their residency and it's standing in plus again grades. A brain surgeon being top of the pile and bums and feet the bottom (pun intended).

So, the summation was that is why there is an influx of Indian doctors, most of them are GPs.

I suppose really in all fairness, this is the same for every field. I had no idea or dreams of what I wanted to be. I left school at 15, at 16 joined the MN, I liked catering so I started as a catering boy in the galley, and cooking became my field of endeavor, I never dreamed I would one day be the head of a multi-national company. I'd much rather do what I did than spend years to look down someone's throat or up their bums.

Cheers, Rodney

[j.sabourn]

#40 You are a 100% correct there Rodney , at least hospital surgeons have the decency to ask you if one wants resuscitating if one goes under the anathestic , as I was , but this was at 0300 hours in the morning for an operation planned for 0900 hours , and this was from a deep sleep., my reply of yes please , I lay awake for the next 6 hours hoping I had made the right choice. As it turned out he decided to not put me out and gave the option of looking in on my inward being , I will admit to closing my eyes , but should of asked for ear plugs as well. A pet animal is lucky his owner takes that decision on his own shoulders.
Cheers JS.

[happy daze john in oz]

Here in Oz we are importing more GP from India than any other country.
But the largest number of immigrants now come from India.
Gets to the point when you think in some suburbs maybe I should carry my passport.

But in general they are a gentle and peaceful people who run some great Indian restaurants.

My prostate surgery back in 2013 was conducted by a very nice Indian surgeon.
But we do have language problems with some migrants who will not use English where maybe they should. Go to some of the discount stores and it sounds like a bunch of Magpies talking, but they are the Vietnamese, all good citizens.

We are lucky as seniors we do not have to pay for much, scripts at $6.40and all visits to GO bulk billed.
How much longer it will last, depends on how long this gov lasts!!!

But an example of how dire the medical situation is now, one of our major Unis has failed for the last ten years to fill all the places in school of medicine, students are just not into medical. But when you consider, five years at uni, then a min of two years in hospital as an intern just to become a junior GP, they can earn more punching a key board.

[j.sabourn]

#44 By the same token John it used to take a 6 year apprenticeship to be a cooper ( barrel maker ) with no where near the rewards of the medical profession. For seamen to reach the certification stage of master Mariner took about 8 years seatime and this was just the certificate not the job. The job only came usually after many years of experience. I don’t think the medical profession when it comes to specialists and GPs are hard done by. They do work long hours I know but they knew that when they took their Hippocratic Oath. Other professions also work in access of recognised hours , and that’s where hopefully they have unions with brains in their head to see that they are justly rewarded but in keeping with the job. Cheers JS.

[James Curry]

Concerning medicine my Nephews daughter hstruggled to get accepted to Dundee Uni even though she had 3A*in the required subjects.
She did get in in the end after an intervention by her Father & Mother demanding an interview with the selection board !!
Her father is a senior consultant in Hemotology and her mother a Consultant Gynaecologist. When pressed why their daughter was not accepted they said she lacked motivation, absolutely no way that was true. They threatened legal action against the Uni. The UNI soon backed off and accepted her. Guess what the real reason was, one of her tutuors indicated that places are offered unofficially to foreign students as they are fee paying students. Scottish students mostly do not have to pay fees. Disgusting we have home grown talent wanting to get on and get an education. Another sad fact is that when she qualifies getting a job may prove difficult yet again because the NHS are looking more and more at foriegn doctors and nurses. In all likely hood she will end up in Canada as Canada are actively targeting our home grown talent as we actually speak english as a first language she also has an A level in French and doing an Open University degree in French.
Not all young ones in the UK sit on their **** playing vidieo games.

[happy daze john in oz]

Similar situation with my grand Neice in UK.
Her mother is a deputy commissioner of radiography, her father is head of MIR in the Middlesex hospital in London.
She wanted to go to Southampton UNI but was refused on grounds he results were not high enough.
But was welcomed with open arms to Guildford UNI which told the result she got from high school was excellent.

[j.sabourn]

#41 Tony I remember about 10 years ago that was a stipulation placed on immigration to Australia. My next door neighbours at the time were British true Blue, and the ladies brother and family were also . They failed the English language test. And weren’t allowed to emigrate.Tell me does that sound fishy to you as it does me ? When you look around today in this once great country and see the standard of the English language today makes one wonder. Once again our magnificent politicians play lip service to the great unwashed. Pun intended. JS.

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Hi John
I survived yesterday, but what a stuff up. When the lady who drove me up, {She was from my provider} she pulled into this big posh hospital, I said this is not the one I went to before, she said this is where I bring everyone. It was posh, I got my eyes photographed in four different rooms, I must have lovely eyes or something, tested like I was King George, then waited to see the top man, I asked him if he operated where the woman who had done my other eye, he said no, we are Private, I asked, don't you do public patients? he said yes but there is a waiting list of twelve months, I said I would wait until a place came up there. When I went out a woman interviewed me and asked if I would be put on a list in case a place came available if there happened to be someone drop out, {or died probably} I said of course so she put me on that list, I think they don't like to miss out on anyone's money, as they get paid for public patients, better than nothing So now it is look out Cooma Des is back on the roads.
De PS.
I got a govt assessment done yesterday, making available all kids of help, Cleaning, transport, cooking, you name it I can get it for a small token payment.

[j.sabourn]

First things first Des , get someone into do your Sunday chores and you go and keep the local barmaid company. I know my sister who is mostly incapacitated gets allowed about x number of dollars a year in assistance re. Help, won’t tell you the amount in case you think you are getting short changed. Anyhow if I could get Cappys 3/9d to you I’d buy you a glass of Dr. Penfolds. Cheers JS.