Our medical system is, with doubt, the finest in the world. The issue is not the quality or availability of care but the financing of that care. Instead of merely addressing the financing of care – particularly for the relative few who are uninsured – ObamaCare seeks to reallocate the distribution of the care itself. And as we’ve seen already, this means extraordinary cuts to Medicare leading to a rationing of care to the elderly.
Want a preview of our future under ObamaCare? Look no further than Britain, where broadsheets like the Times and Telegraph are full of horror stories from the National Health Service. And now this item from Sky News under the headline, “Dying Patient Was Refused a Glass of Water”.
A dying patient had to ring a hospital switchboard on his mobile to ask for a glass of water, after nurses ignored his pleas.
Officials from the South London NHS Trust have apologised to the family of Derek Sauter, who later died in hospital of pneumonia.
The 60-year-old did not receive a “proper and professional standard of care” when he was admitted with a chest infection in June 2008.
A formal investigation is being conducted into his death, after it was found his oxygen levels went unchecked for 11 hours and were 35% lower than recommended.
Ruth Sauter, the patient’s daughter, said she was disgusted by the treatment her father had received.
She told The Daily Mail: “His condition was not life threatening, and nurses had specific instructions to keep close tabs on him.
“‘But their appalling lack of care, and cruel behaviour killed my father…It’s so much worse knowing that he died alone, thirsty and scared on that ward.”
After being admitted in the morning, he was given antibiotics and oxygen, but was later forced to ring his wife to tell her that he was not allowed any more water as he had earlier knocked over a cup.
After ringing the switchboard, a doctor was called to the ward, only for a nurse to tell him that the patient was “overreacting”.
Almost sounds like the nursing staff wanted him to die.
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