When I was a Stanford Medical student, we treated all patients the same. Part of my training was at the excellent San Francisco County Hospital. We saw everything from tuberculosis (a whole ward) to Syphilis, Gonorrhea and even Leprosy. Now many medical students are just seeing routine heart and other patients except for the Corona virus. I wish they could have the wonderful experience we did at the two hospitals where we were trained. Now I am told by physicians that many medical schools and hospitals are mainly catering to the rich and affluent. These patients are given red blankets on their beds to distinguish them from those who do not have their wealth. I find that appalling. I realize that particularly now with the corona virus that hospitals are losing money because they are not able to do the elective surgeries that they did previously. How sad that plastic surgeons are no longer able to do all their cosmetic procedures for which they charge a great deal. I say this in jest because I have cared for many poor and disabled children and teens, many of whom have little or no money or good health coverage.
Every individual has the right to good medical care and the idea that people with wealth receive better care than others makes me very angry. That is not what medicine should be about. Having worked in a big London hospital, I saw no difference in how rich and poor patients were treated. Of course, those in the government receive the best of care, I am sure.
Not only do red blanket patients receive excellent medical care, but they also are given gourmet food, have deluxe rooms and many other special services. Perhaps this pandemic will change the way we provide medical care in the U.S. so it is more equal. I certainly can hope.
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