A preview of Obamacare

By Ethel C. Fenig

For a truly frightening preview of our future under Obamacare, Peter Simpson of The Daily Telegraph informs us of the real life conditions of socialized medicine as practiced in Great Britain and Scandinavia--countries often touted as role models for health the US should follow and admire.

To cut down on long waiting lists for knee surgery, mostly on the elderly, an English clinic imported "flying doctors" from Scandinavia. These doctors fly in, skim the reports on the patients' medical condition, perform the surgery and whoosh! fly home again, with little follow up.

The results were predictable.

Dozens of elderly people were left in pain and requiring further surgery after botched work by Scandinavian surgeons brought in to reduce NHS waiting lists, an investigation has found.

(snip)

Now, an audit of more than 200 patients who underwent knee surgery between 2004 and 2006 has revealed that the number of operations which were botched was ten times the national average.

And why was there such a long waiting list and why was it necessary for England to import these doctors?

Doctors and other medical personnel and institutions basically operate on a regular business schedule rather than having extended hours and shifts as is common here. The number of English trained doctors has fallen, necessitating the importation of doctors from other countries who work there with minimal competence in English and little knowledge of their clinical skills.

So, no matter how the American policy wonks oh so sincerely protest, the same--and worse--would happen here if government sponsored, single payer" healthcare infests our country. Why, they may even long for the bad old days of healthcare circa 2009.

Or else they'll import witch doctors to make us feel better.