Thursday, April 26, 2007

Pay or Pain

Further confirmation this morning that our government is hell-bent on forcing us to adopt a U.S. health care model.

I required a routine hip x-ray so I rang my friendly local public hospital (St. Michael’s, Dun Laoghaire). After an hour or more on hold to the x-ray department, I gave up and called in. I could hear the phone still ringing as I waited by the reception desk. Eventually a frazzled-looking woman appeared and after listening to my request she told me that I could have an appointment for 3-months hence – late July.

Not impressed by this I decided to go private and rang the Blackrock Clinic. The phone was answered immediately and I was told to come in as soon as I wanted as they had a walk-in service.