| "I am willing to be in prison!" | |
|---|---|
| Dec 1, 2008 02:12 |   |
 | It is real news. Li Dawei (pseudonym), a farmer in Beijing, suffers from the aplastic anemia. In order to survive his life, he need to take the exsanguination transfusion operation regularly. However, he can't afford the medical expenses. He heard that the criminals can take free treatment in the prison so that he committed robberies two times. Finally, he got the result he wanted. The judge sentenced him to 18 years' imprisonment. After reading the news, do you have something to say? Personally, I feel very sad for him. But I could understand why he adopted the extreme way to survive. The medical expenses in China are too high. Those poor people can't afford the expenses at all. The government has done the medical system reform but seems ineffective. |
| Dec 1, 2008 07:42 | #1 |
| Leopold, it’s a tragic story but the challenge for the government to provide a free health care system is huge. The UK introduced a national health system in around 1948. It has never worked properly. Same with Australia. The waiting lists for people to have surgery grow by the day. Hospitals are full and Doctors send their patient of for all sorts of tests because they make money from them. People fill doctor’s waiting rooms with complaints that they would never dream of consulting a doctor with because the visit is free. Free health care in these counties has produced a bottomless pit in regards to the money that needs to be put into it. Even if the system was means tested in China how many people would qualify; millions no doubt! I might add that last year my youngest son became seriously ill (in Australia) and the specialist who treated him came from Beijing. He did a great job too, but I suspect that the brain drain of doctors moving from China to countries where they can make incomes of $1000000+ might also add to the challenge. Dodger. |
| Dec 1, 2008 10:15 | #2 |
| Dodger's story is why many Americans do not want to see a free health care system. That said, it is not uncommon for people to quit jobs when they need medical care they cannot afford as a working American; the welfare system offers them free health care. There is no question that something needs to be done about the health care systems of the world; but what? My opinion is that we should die when our time comes rather than look for miracle cures through medicine...but even with that hard line...where and when do you draw the line? |
| Dec 1, 2008 19:53 | #3 |
| Criminals do get free board and lodging. Free health care, too. They even have a gym! |
| Dec 1, 2008 20:06 | #4 |
| I would like to point out that most people in Chinese prisons don't survive their sentence. In fact most people in US prisons don't survive their sentence either. And I am talking about actually prison, not a county jail. If you have a sentence of 2 years plus, your likelihood of survival ranges in the 40th percentile. The guards don't care, the prison system is corrupt and people get raped and killed all the time. I don't think prisoners are lucky. Especially in russia where a lot of them have the extremely drug resistant TB and they are crowded 25 people to a cell. Please think before you speak. I feel sorry for this man. |
| Dec 1, 2008 20:17 | #5 |
| Dodger, I am not hoping that China can introduce the free health care system very soon. I just hope that they can do their best to decrease the medical expenses. My cousin just had a cold but he spent more than 500 RMB to cure his cold in the hospital. Tooooo expensive! The doctors are butchers too. If you read the following news, you would know what I am referring. A 6 years old girl who suffered from the appendicitis was sent to a hospital. The doctor who performed the operation asked the girl to do 104 kinds of examinations, including hepatitis A, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, HIV tests etc. To have the operation, the girl's parents spent 6867.63 RMB. Actually, such an easy operation only costs several hundred Yuan. I suggest that this hospital to compete for Guinness. |
| Dec 2, 2008 14:37 | #6 |
| Would you please post your source, BETSIE? I am trying to find it on the web, but could not. |
| Dec 2, 2008 18:20 | #7 |
| GUESTTRIPLEA | provide a free health care system There are not free any thing, is fool to think so. |
| Dec 2, 2008 21:22 | #8 |
| How ironic it is! The government really need think about this problem seriously now. If not, more guys will go to the prison. |
| Dec 3, 2008 19:44 | #9 |
| Criminals do get free board and lodging. Free health care, too. They even have a gym! It sounds that the prison is a good place to stay, hehe. Anyone else wants to go to the jail? |
| Dec 3, 2008 22:12 | #10 |
| Estimated savings (market value) of imprisonment: lodging $800.00 central Texas meals $400.00 utilities $350.00 medical $400.00 entertainment priceless Total $1950.00 Also according to my faint memory from the past the average cost to the state per prisoner is appx. $32,000/yr. Soooo.....If I were to commit a serious felony maybe I could make a deal with the judge in which the state or federal government would just pay me 1/2 of the estimated cost of imprisonment provided I were to relocate to a remote island or maybe even China......Hmmmm ..... Yea... Right ..... |
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