I am catching up with posting online my articles.
One of my friends has told me today that he is going to see the doctor who is supposed to assess the results from the MRI = Magnetic Resonance Imaging scan which he did last week in the hospital. This was because he had excruciating pains in his lower back. It was so bad that he had to pull himself up with his hands whenever he was standing up form the bed or chair. There were moments when he didn't have strength in his leg which was also accompanied by loss of feelings in his limb. And it all lasted couple of weeks.
I was surprised to hear it because I see him regularly and he has never complained to me about this problem especially because this problem is/was quite serious. I started to ask him more detailed questions about the case and he told me that this happened some 15 months ago before I got to know him. And because he got better and he could walk and do sport with caution then he did not mention to me anything about it.
That is all fine. He started to do the rehabilitation on his own and he got better.
But I want to ask question why the "fcuk" the doctors did not do anything for him when he was in pain and in very serious condition. He had to wait 15 months for MRI scan !!!
Now he doesn't really need it anymore. And I doubt that the doctor will decide on any type of rehabilitation because my friend is quite well now.
Now... the answers...
Spain has one of the best health care system in the world ranking but yet once you get sick and you don't have private health insurance then you have to wait in the queue. And quite often it takes 1-2 years before you get the treatment. This is not a joke. It takes many months before you get the appointment. And it also works in this way that you get a phone call from the doctor and you must show up the next day at specified hour in the hospital for the test. If you cannot make it then you will have to wait few more weeks or months for the next appointment. Or even you may even be deleted completely from the waiting list.
I say it again... Spain is in the top world ranking in regards to the health care system !!!
What is the solution ?
The whole health care system requires complete reform. But it is obvious that something like this would require many years of planning and implementation from the moment of making the decision about it and the government has not made this type of decisions yet and is not planning to make it very soon. We have to remember that Spain has been hardly hit by the world crisis and it will take many more years before the state of economy improves.
Thus the best solution for the moment is to get private insurance especially if you suspect that you are not well and you may be getting sick. And if you get sick and you don't have private health insurance, then don't wait. Find yourself a good therapist if you can. I know that it cost money but I assure you that you will spend and loose this money anyway on painkillers and other remedies and treatments which don't work and on top of it you will suffer all the time. And some people even get into the phase of irreversible changes and then it is either too late or extremely difficult to do anything about their situation.
For example in the case of my friend it was a matter of finding a good massage or physiotherapist. If he came to me when he was in pain I would help him to recover from it much faster. At least he did it himself. It took him more time but he has recovered. And it was very serious state. He could have end up on the wheelchair for life !!!
Anyway these are some practical solutions for now. In the long term it would be beneficial to do complete reform of the health care system because if we don't do anything about it then the future will be the continuation of what we have now. Thus think about it and get involved in the process of change. You must act. You must support and insist that the government makes the changes in the system. And it goes not only about the changes in the health care system but in the global economic system because they are both interconnected. And thus let's start with the LIVING INCOME GUARANTEED.