Health Abuse

In Australia we have a public health system that has an endless demand yet limited resources. People generally ignore this fact and have unlimited expectations on what the health system can achieve for them. Fact is that good health costs money. We feel that it is free just because there are no direct costs to the consumer. We do pay a levy in our taxes. However this covers little if you are actually hospitalised. Perhaps an overnight stay not including any actual treatment. I feel as if Medicare was designed to take care of our basic health by looking after our visits to our local GP.

Our expectations are high, yet what is the individual doing to improve their own health? There are lots of stories of people expecting help from the health system when it is their own lifestyle choices that are leading them into a cycle of ill health. Here’s just three:

• Morbidly obese people consuming fatty foods in the hospital cafeteria
• Smokers outside of hospital having a cigarette while still in the gown and connected to IV fluids
• Smokers having a cigarette while on home oxygen resulting in explosion and burns to face, yes a true story

Are we really a healthier nation or a nation that takes its health for granted? There are a lot of abuses of the health system, a lack of personal responsibility and an expectation that the public health system to pick up the slack for poor choices. In fact it is a brazen disregard for the good lifestyle choices. Everyone should know better by now.

People seem unwilling to change lifestyle habits yet demand the health system to cure their ailments. Once cured go back to their same habits.