I don't usually watch Close-Up on TV One because my wife watches Shortland St on the other channel but I saw a segment that I had to choke back tears-of rage and sympathy.
It was a story about our crumbling hospital system:
83 year old Gordon Sutherland fears he'll die on a hospital waiting list. Gordon has skin cancer. He has tumours on his nose, and last month another one appeared on his jaw. Doctors have told him he urgently needs an operation. Yesterday he was about to go into surgery - an entire surgical team was waiting - but at the last minute the operation was cancelled because of a lack of beds at Auckland Hospital. That's the third operation they've cancelled on Gordon in a matter of weeks, and all the time his tumours are growing, threatening his eyesight and his very life. Gordon feels like the system's letting him down - potentially killing him. TVNZ
83 year old Gordon Sutherland fears he'll die on a hospital waiting list. Gordon has skin cancer. He has tumours on his nose, and last month another one appeared on his jaw. Doctors have told him he urgently needs an operation. Yesterday he was about to go into surgery - an entire surgical team was waiting - but at the last minute the operation was cancelled because of a lack of beds at Auckland Hospital. That's the third operation they've cancelled on Gordon in a matter of weeks, and all the time his tumours are growing, threatening his eyesight and his very life. Gordon feels like the system's letting him down - potentially killing him. TVNZ
Gordon was a fighter pilot in his day, and a working man who paid his taxes but he cant get what he deserves, immediate care in a public hospital for his cancer.
Why is this happening?
Labour has increased the health budget by billions over the last nine years but most of it has gone into bureaucrats-more than one for every hospital bed-and a wasteful hospital system of multiple layers of moronic managers and useless pen pushers.
New Zealanders could have more operations if we used our underutilised private health assets but because those compassionate people in the Labour Party think the public system is the only way to go, they have put the health of Kiwis on the back burner and people like Gordon Sutherland are suffering as a result.
So it is more important for Labour to stick to a political dogma than save a mans life?
Well the answer is a big fat sad yes.
The thing that made me particularly bitter was that the Health Minister David Cunliffe refused to appear to give his excuses.
Shame, not good Karma come election day.
c Political Animal 2008
