STATIC DISCLAIMER: All the stuff in here is purely my opinions, and they tend to change depending on what mood I'm in. If you're going to get bitter if I say something about you that you don't like, then maybe don't read. I avoid using names as much as possible, and would request that people who know me do the same in their comments. Basically, I often vent my frustrations on here, so if you happen to be someone who frustrates me, expect to read a description of someone very much like you in here!

Tuesday, April 12, 2005

My wife hates my blog!

Greetings once again, blog readers. For those who've read the last couple of posts and gone "crap, this is depressing", then I apologies. I'm at a point in my life where things are transitional and difficult, and one of these days I'm going to beat it and move on. However, I'm going to try and blog about some other stuff that's more general and perhaps not so negative where possible. Why? Because my wife thinks that all blogs are evil, thanks to mine. She's rather Tony Robbins (yes, I've used a guy's name as an adjective), so as far as she is concerned, negativity is the devil.

So hey, let me do a short political spiel then. You see, we went to the hospital the other morning at 5:30am. Our little boy was unwell and had a temperature of 38.4*C. Now, I've only been a parent for a short while, but he's only ever had a high temperature once, and that only got up to 37.4. It was just after he was born, and there was an obvious sense of alarm at the situation. So maybe 10 month old children can handle the higher temperatures - the thing is we just weren't sure and our one past experience had just added a rather strong sense of worry about high temperatures.

Now there's a big story to this, but I'll try and shorten it. We got to the hospital, and there was only one doctor on duty, and it had been a very full-on night for them, so the nurse at the counter was very stressed. She told us his symptoms were nothing, then took an incorrect reading of his temperature (she read it as 35.6*C - we double checked it with 2 different thermometers when we got home. It was 38.2.), and sent us home. Now in the morning we took him to our GP, and it turns out he has a high temperature (surprise!) and pus on his tonsils - possibly tonsillitis, or at least, a viral infection.

OK, so here's the thing. We never were panicking that our boy was dying or anything. We just thought it was important he see a doctor with a small degree of urgency so that we could know what the problem was and how we might best address it. However, we COULDN'T because there were too few doctors at the hospital for us to be able to see one. Now, I don't know what everyone else thinks, but I think that if I pay my taxes, I should be entitled to the medical care they supposedly supply, at whatever time I feel I need it. And if there aren't enough doctors to deal with people, they should employ more. Where are everyone's medical tax dollars going? I wonder if I had driven to Mosman if I would have got better service? Is that the way it works? Or does it get funneled into other things like Federal Government Christmas presents or something? I only get 60% of what I earn in my pocket, so I'll tell you what, I better be getting value for money out of the other 40%. Maybe the government should start offering people "tax options". Set up a second Medicare-type organization, and make them compete for people's tax dollar. See, why does it cost 40 million dollars to put an extra lane on 30kms of road? That's more then a million per kilometer. Because the companies doing the work are trying to get as much out of the government as they possibly can, and the government just takes it.
OK, here's the most political I'm going to get. I think we need some serious tax reform. I don't see why me, who the banks say can't afford to borrow enough money to buy the cheapest of houses in the Hawkesbury, is losing almost half my income in tax. It's nuts.

Anyways, that's it. I couldn't be a political writer if all the people reading were blind, but have my 2 cents anyway. If nothing else, maybe my wife will like it. :P

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

cash in hand my friend....cash in hand...

Anonymous said...

justin justin,
i think its about time we realized that when it comes to emergency services at hospitals we have to accept that no matter how much tax we pay, we as patients in public hospitals will never be seen by a doctor on our own precious time.coming from working in a hospital i have seen the tantrums and dramas unfold from parents who demand that there child be seen immediatly even though the doctor on duty is under so much pressure from not having enough staff to compinsate his work load.I agree that the government should employ more staff but unfortunately there are so many out there that simply dont want to do the work on so little money.Its the same in every hospital no matter which area you live in no matter how rich you are their are criterias that have to be met in emergency situations, if you arent dying then you will have to sit for up to 5 hours and wait to be seen. So like i said just accept it but if you have a way of changing it just like evrybody else who would like to do the same thing then please go ahead and complain to the people who run this rediculous country.

Monkeytree said...

I think Australia has one of the highest tax rates in the world - but I think that overall, it's one of the best places in the world to live (yay Australia!). In alot of other countries, if you don't have money, then you're stuffed. Here, the government makes sure you have all your basic needs met which is great.
I like your idea of a second layer of medical benefits, but in reality it's called private health insurance. If you're rich, the trick is to legally reduce what tax you have to pay, then get health insurance. I agree that the tax system is not very good in Australia, but any changes that are made are going to step on lots of people's feet.
I was talking about this to a guy who grew up in Korea. When his friends and family hear about all of our welfare system, medicare, and other public benefits, they are amazed and say how great this country is. Then they realise that we pay alot of tax, and they only pay about 8% - and they have to concede that they'd rather have their Korean system after all.

Monkeytree said...

Actually it reminds me - I saw a quote recently which was something like: I don't mind paying taxes, it buys me civilization."

Justin Warner said...

Joel - I understand what you're saying, but see the thing is that private health care is kind of an add-on to what you get in the public system. My point is that when I went to get medical help - I was denied it, even though I pay for it. I've got private health care, but it didn't help me at that point. The service I was after is a public service, and it wasn't available to me.
I think maybe there needs to be more 24hr medical centres, even if they charge extra. We would have gone to one if there was one locally rather then the hospital - as could probably a lot of other people who show up in emergency. It would certainly give people another option, and maybe lighten the emergency department's load a little...