talk.politics.misc

PJ O'Donovan wrote:
> /news/national/patients-at-risk/2007/10/05/
>
> Excerpt:
> X-ray backlog: patients at risk
> Tough week ... X-rays the latest problem for Reba Meagher.
> Photo: Brendan Esposito
> Latest related coverage
> Handle with care
> Royal North Shore failed to meet quality and safety standards
> Go north and multiply your job satisfaction
> Sunshine state poaches fed-up health workers
> AdvertisementAdvertisement
>
> Anna Patty
> October 6, 2007
>
> Excerpt:
>
> "..Thousands of X-rays and other medical scans are not being
> interpreted by radiologists in Sydney hospitals because of outdated
> technology and a national shortage of radiologists. In some cases
> films and scans have been lost. Liverpool Hospital has confirmed it
> has a backlog of 4500 images that have not been reported on by a
> radiologist. But a radiologist from the hospital, who did not want to
> be named, said the number of X-rays, CAT scans and MRI scans not being
> diagnosed by a radiologist was twice that..."
> \
If the Australian Federal Government did not spend all that money on
Advertising how good they are or tax incentives pushing us to private
health insurance we will never use we would have enough money to fix
that problem.

I have private health insurance that I doubt I will ever use simply so I
don't get slugged with extra tax.

So what is the alternative? The wonderful US system? I don't think so.