Health care - Chinese style

I know there's a lot of talk in the US about Government controlled health care. I had a humbling experience on Tuesday: contrasting the health care I get with the health care China gets - and the two places are just a building away from each other. We went to Shanghai East (I will call it Ex-Pat Shanghai East) yesterday for an appointment for Josh. Our facility: nice, clean, roomy, not too many people, appointments. Apparently the "ex-pat" health care facility is a joint venture with the facility right by it. I asked for a hospital tour thinking it would be in the Chinese facility, but it wasn't. I went on my tour of the Ex-pat Shanghai East facility, brought around by someone who spoke fluent English. Then Josh and I went over to the Chinese facility. It was just as Tian Mei (our ayi) explained. You sign in (no appointments) and then you wait. And you wait. And you wait. It is an all day affair. In a room the size of one of the "private" rooms at Ex-pat Shanghai East, there were about 6 people all hooked up to IVs with their family. In the pediatrics ward hallway (yes, hallway), there were probably 25 children with IVs in their arms or legs, supported by a wooden board to keep the arm or leg straight, dirty floors, along with their family members. Josh couldn't believe it, and neither could I. But everyone seemed happy to be receiving care. Now I understand when a Chinese Dr. told me he saw more patients in one day than a year in a U.S. based hospital.

There's no doubt that the US based health care system could use some changes. I hope I can go back and take some pictures of this facility. I think it would be humbling for any American. I think you would not believe it, like how I felt. There's got to be a good happy medium. I hope that the US will tour China, England and other places before deciding how to make health care changes, but I do know that people without health care need a better, more cost effective option for health care than showing up to the ER when it gets so bad that it has to be taken care of, or they show up to the ER because they can't be turned away. That said, in China, EVERYONE does pay something for health care. You give of your time and money to get health care in China. However, I think that the US could learn from China about how to process so many people so quickly.