Uninformed Americans

Once again letter writers to this newspaper state we need to go to universal health care like the rest of the industrialized world. This shows a complete lack of knowledge about how the systems in other countries work; especially those in Europe.

Tourists and other vacationers cannot tell you how systems function in Europe. You must live there and have to use their health care system, either because it's all you have or your support site is too far away to be a viable system for you to use. I was a civilian contractor in Italy for 11 1/2 years supported by our military. However, I lived too far away from the support base to be able to quickly use it.

The Italian health care system is a universal single-payer system. The government runs the clinics and hospitals used by the general public. Private clinics and hospitals are available for the rich and famous.

The private systems are very good and provide excellent medical care. You must have a lot of money to use those. The government systems are very poor to nearly inhumane. The hospitals don't have air conditioning in all areas or rooms. They don't have central air or heat in most areas of Italy. They use old style, from 60 years ago, hot water radiators or portable propane catalytic converters to heat their rooms and open windows for cooler air. Six, eight or 10 people to a room, lined up along the walls around the room. No TVs or extras including privacy curtains are provided.

They do not provide any of the things you need for daily care. Things like toilet paper, toothbrush, soap, toothpaste and slippers you must provide yourself. They do not provide assistance to change your bed linens on a normal basis. You must have someone from your family there to assist you.

In most cases the family runs a watch system for their family members who are in the hospital. Eight hour shifts filled by some member of the family. Food is provided by the hospital, but they just bring it to the floor. You must go get it or have your family member get it from the food cart.

Need assistance to go to the bathroom? Your family member must be there to help you if that help is needed. How many people in this country are ready for that type of care? The same people who want universal health care would be screaming their heads off. Folks, you do not want the type of care you would receive from that type of system.

A few points about how problems are handled. I sustained a serious cut on my head that required a large number of stitches. They cut my hair off around the area with a scissors and washed it with soap and water and a bristle brush. They then threaded a needle and sewed up the cut and sewed the bandage to my head with some additional stitches. All of this without any pain medication of any kind. For stitch removal they told me to pull them out in seven to 10 days. No follow up visit so the doctor can do it; you do it yourself. My wife pulled out mine. Can you imagine the Cain that would be raised if doctors here tried that?

I also had to have antibiotics for a serious throat infection. The doctor provided me with a quick inspection of my throat and then handed me a bottle of antibiotics and a syringe and told me how much to draw it into the needle. He also told me where to give the shot and said "so long." I had to give myself the shots.

Only problem was he wanted me to give it in the fatty portion of my body above my buttock. Pretty hard to do that yourself!

So, I enlisted the aid of my wife. She gave me one shot. After that one, I took my meds to work and had the men I worked with give them to me. They do it all the time for their families so they know what to do.

Can you imagine that taking place here?

So folks, before you listen to some tourist, vacationer or "elite politician" telling you how the foreign health care systems should be used here, think about it a little first.

The above is why people come here for health care. They don't go there. If someone uses those systems as examples, of how ours should work, ask them how many times they actually used their systems for care.

Then tell them to go live there instead of here.

Gerald Lesmeister

Weeki Wachee