12/01/2005

commercialisation and private hospitals

a young man was stabbed and rushed to a private hospital in cheras. the hospital insisted for an upfront payment of $5,000 or else no admission. only after rushing home and returned with the money was the injured admitted into the operation theatre. it was more than an hour passed. the next thing was for the doctor to come out and said it was too late. the young man died. and the hospital will not release the body unless the medical bill is fully paid. such thoughtlessness and uncaring nature of man at its worst are beyond belief. this happened in kl, malaysia. the private hospital was owned by singaporeans. this is the consequence when privatisation leads to the compromising of the original mission of setting up a hospital, to save life. even in an emergency, everyone is thinking about money. no money just too bad. this dehumanisation of life must be put to an end. privatisation is a four letter word. my experience of being stung by a stonefish and rushed to a nearby island where shell had an inhouse clinic is a glaring example of the harm privatisation can caused to human life and humanity. the shell medical staff treated me immediately without a single question ask about money or payment. and i left after being treated, expending their time and medicine and professional help, without paying a cent. i could have lost my leg or at least my toe, and an expensive medical bill if i was rush to a hospital. this basic goodness of human nature is lost in our madness for profits and money. when shall we be less mercenary? where is philantrophy and the goodness of man? we have exchange our humanity for money, and to some it is good. it is the right direction to go...to hell. ps. the young man happened to be related to najib razak, dep pm of malaysia.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Good Evening Redbean

A sad tale indeed, but this is happening more and more often. We hear similar stories where money become the deciding factor and the bottom line sometime decides whether a person live or die.

I must say this, and I am sure Singaporeans would disagree with me, but having been here for a while, I feel that most Singaporeans do not control money, it is money that controls most Singaporeans. In Chinese we call it "money face". Sorry Redbean, but that is how I feel.

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

hi anonymous,

now i think you are mixing with the wrong company, the group that has money and worship money. you are right when this group is concerned.

for those who did not have, money is equally important if not more important.

our rich are mostly nouve riche, with very short history of wealth and still not able to live wealth and enjoy wealth. still striving to create more wealth for the sake of wealth, to prepare for the next 10 generations.

i know of this filthy rich guy who stinges on everything. we are too money minded and did not know what is enough and should look for other kinds of self growth and quality of life.

the fact that at 70 or 80 one is still thinking of amassing wealth and displaying greed is very sad indeed.

remember my four letter word? privatisation and profit.

Anonymous said...

Hi Redbean

I have an uncle living in a nice bungalow in Frankle estate. He must be worth more than $10 million plus. His house is worth around another $4 million. He is 65 years old and retired. All he does everyday from Monday to Friday is sit in front of the TV monitoring his shares. He does not travel, does not eat out and does not spend his money any other way. He proudly says he does not give to any charity because he has sweated for his money nad why should he give it away. I guess that most rich people of this country are like that. They is why the wealth divide is getting wider and wider. What do you think?

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

the rich have the right not to donate. donation is from the heart. so it is their own preference.

i have done some fund raising in the past and it is always the heartlanders that will empty their pockets spontaneously. the rich and sophisticated will have to think very hard and then come out with very little. and that's life.

if there is an afterlife or a rebirth, and if the theory of karma is true, no body knows for sure, the generous will reap their generosity in their next coming.

to each his own.