Sick Children 2

Three weeks ago, I wrote about how George Bush’s ideological game playing threatens the health and safety of millions of American children from families that can’t afford health insurance. America’s ABC News is focusing attention on the plight of uninsured children, including a report on tonight’s World News Tonight (the complete series of stories is here).

ABC News also has a map of Uninsured Children State by State. It paints a grim picture highlighting the question the Bushies refuse to answer: How can the richest nation on earth fail to provide even basic healthcare for those who cannot afford it, especially children?

Actually, Bush did have an answer: He claimed there is access to healthcare: “After all,” Bush jauntily declared, “you can just go to an emergency room.”

Three weeks ago, I had to ask “What colour is the sky on that man’s planet?” Clearly I still can’t answer that question.

Let me say this clearly so that even an idiot like George Bush can understand it: Emergency rooms are the worst, most expensive and least appropriate means of healthcare delivery for anyone, especially children. People delay healthcare until their case is critical because if their situation isn’t critical, they can be turned away. Too often by the time people go to emergency rooms, it’s too late to do anything. Even when treatment is possible, very often it’s more expensive and involved.

Bush and his far-right buddies need to stop playing games with children’s lives. Countries throughout the developed world don’t have the problem delivering basic healthcare that America has. All that’s missing in America is the will to change things, but change will never happen while Bush and the neo-cons maintain control.

In the meantime, they’re quite happy to let the children suffer. To me, that’s sick.