Baby Shield?

We have MediShield and now BabyShield akan datang. Of course we have many kinds of shields for the oldies as well but in different names.. Soon there will be the ‘bao ka liao’ shield to cover from birth to death. Child birth is a risky business and statistically quite a significant percentage will be born with congenital problems or other birth defects. And the bottom line, it means a medical bill to foot. How come parents are not told that giving birth to babies is not simply footing the gynaecologist and delivery bills? There is another big chunk to be paid for birth defects and other related illnesses that is not cheap. So there is a need for BabyShield. Ah so. Can this be one of the prime reason why there is this urgent call to make more babies, to contribute to the economy by paying more medical bills plus insurance? Making a baby is a economic big factor that will add to the economic growth data. Just look at the cost the parents will have to bear, from conception to delivery, pre natal and post natal medical support and all the related medicine and medicare services. And that is only the beginning. The cost of bringing up the child, food, clothing, medical care as an infant, then nursery, kindergarten, pre school, and all the schooling till employment, and all the expenses for growing up. Finally as a young adult, 2 years for the country, follows by all the education needed to become employable. How much must the parents pay? Making babies is all about economics and the economy. A child could add at least half a million dollars to the economy before he makes his first dollar. Multiply this figure by the 30,000 to 40,000 births annually, the amount contributed to the economy is immense. The parents will have to foot the whole bill, plus all the shields. Should the govt share some of the cost of making babies, raising babies and educating them? The BabyShield can be a good start, plus all the medical bills for the delivery of a baby. This leads to another fundamental issue, the health of the people. If the headcount is so important, and if the people cannot afford to pay when they are sick, or dying, their loss is the loss of the country and the economy. Every headcount less will be a dent to the economic numbers. But the people are expected to pay for all the shields to keep themselves healthy and fit to help grow the economy. The country needs your babies. But you carry the can and pay to support all the services provided to bring up the babies. In other words, it is your problem if you bring out a baby to this world.