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Doctors, medicine, hospitals, and the rest of the story by Herb Ruhs, MD, July 18, 2005 In response to the story "Doctor who faked research now heads research at Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical," all I can say is that the reality I see beneath the scandals is much, much worse than anyone I meet is willing to consider. I have no defense for the system of corruption that we call modern medicine. That said, it is not true that most, or even many, physicians have poor characters. What is true is that physicians with character are SOL in this system. Many honest physicians, and I would include myself, are struggling to try to survive while those with proven track records of dishonesty, and often just plain incompetence, are making out like bandits. And that is what these people are, bandits. They are stealing not only from the government, patients, and anyone else unlucky enough to pass their way, they are also stealing the future of medicine itself. Our local hospital is about to collapse from mismanagement and corruption (a very common story, unfortunately). When I speak to some in the community about this I increasingly encounter disinterest. "I don't like hospitals. Don't care if it does close," is a common sort of response. Of course when these same people have an emergency they will miss having a hospital to go to, but, poor thinking aside, what I am hearing is a profound alienation from the whole system of "health care" in the US that has evolved over these last thirty years or so. These people are speaking from a position of oppression and humiliation that they experience at the hands of our system. Of course it would be wrong to attribute these attitudes to the wealthy and privileged. These people don't want to go to the local hospital anyway. If they have an emergency, they expect to be life-flighted out to some prestige hospital like Stanford. To them, the rest of us just don't seem to be grateful about the medical services provided for our use. To this level of society, the decision makers, peasants are always ignorant, self destructive, and ungrateful. We can't do windows properly either. The attitude is, "Let them take two aspirins and see if they are alive in the morning." If not, it must have been due to "life style choices." If you think about it, we don't actually have a health care crisis, or any other "crisis" for that matter. What we have is a financial and managerial class that has shifted all the weight onto the backs of those least able to defend themselves in this system, and all the wealth into their pockets. When you step back and take a more comprehensive look at these various "crises" there is only one central, organizing crisis, a crisis of leadership that extends from the White House to your local Chamber of Commerce. And your local Chamber of Commerce is much more dangerous to your health than any yahoos in Washington. Real Scientific Medicine was a marvelous invention. Too bad it is being burned down for the sake of greed and privilege. Herb Ruhs, MD
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