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July 15, 2004
This is one of the things you get with Socialized Medicine
In Britain, too many people are dying from viruses and infections while in the hospital.
Killer superbugs are now out of control with 5,000 people a year dying from viruses picked up in hospitals says a damning report. Health chiefs have been slammed for allowing patients to be treated in filthy hospitals where the number of patients contracting infections is soaring.The numbers of blood infections from Staphylococcus aureus has gone up almost 8% from 17,933 in 2001-02 to 19,311 in 2003-04 - of these 40% were a strain of the deadly MRSA.
My goodness, this is a government report, talking about government run hospitals in Britain, and the hospitals are described as filthy.
In the United Kingdom there is no competition for health care dollars, patients are assigned to facilities, they don't get to pick them. Therefore, the hospital administrators have absolutely no incentive to spend the time and money to keep the facilities clean. They are going to get patients, no matter what the condition of the hospital.
Britain has the highest infection rate in Europe for MRSA which is resistant to most antibiotics.
That's pretty bad - think of all the European countries that are considered to be a bit on the 3rd world side - Romania, Bulgaria, etc.
In fact,
The report says our (British) hospitals are dirtier than those in countries such as Romania.
What's really frightening is that most of these infections can be prevented, cheaply and easily.
But the National Health System works their employees so much that they can't go to the bathroom to wash their hands!!!!!
Staff are still not washing their hands properly says the report but this is not because they are lazy. Nurses and other staff are so overworked they don't have time to use the bathroom.
Aside from the lack of handwashing - when do they get to go potty?
Remember this article when the Democrats start their whining about nationalizing health care again.
In fact, read the whole article, and be afraid.
Killer Superbugs Soar In Hospitals
Posted by Beth at July 15, 2004 6:43 AM
Comments
We have a problem with MRSA and VRSA here. It's not unique to places with socialized medicine.
And our nursing shortage doesn't help.
Posted by: Da Goddess at July 16, 2004 1:01 AM
Joanie, that's a good point. However, I am in hospitals a lot as part of my job. I have never seen a hospital in this country that one would classify as 'filthy'.
And I cannot imagine any nurse I know being 'too busy' to wash his or her hands.
Posted by: Beth Donovan at July 16, 2004 6:38 AM
Socialized medicine is just scary. I grew up on that stuff. We have a hospital here in town that had a high infection rate. It was always in the paper and they talked about it shutting down. (I guess if they can't receive Medicare they may as well shut their doors.) That's the beauty though. We are not socialized and this is not the norm. The hosital has to clean up its act because nobody wants to go there. There are better choices. Thankfully.
Posted by: Boudicca at July 16, 2004 10:12 AM