As I have written about here before I have been having some problems with my eyes – not a lot of fun for anyone, but when your livelihood depends on you writing, well…
So far I have been at the accident and emergency three times and a few visits on top of that to doctors. My last time in the accident and emergency was last week to find out that I have the same problem in both eyes. So I’m not going blind that is good to know, but the film over both corneas is breaking up. It can be painful, but it can be fixed.
I have now received an appointment to see a consultant – 23rd March 2009 – six months.
We get what we pay for.
I have had the privilege of living in Austria and the Czech Republic who’s health care system is far superior to Ireland’s. However they pay more for their health systems, and it is not so centrally controlled.
I needed a hernia operation when I was in Vienna. It took two weeks to organise, from first seeing the GP. This was not private health care but the normal health care system. In the middle of the two weeks I was sat in the consultants office and he asked me when do you want to have the operation? That in its self surprised me. I said jokingly, what about next week? he pick up the phone and called the hospital that where I would be going, he made a five minute call then wrote down the detail for me. I checked into the hospital on the Monday.
I remember watching a program on TV, people were asked about the health care system. They said overwhelmingly that more should be spent on the health system, however they did not think that they should pay more for it – they said the government should pay more for the health system. Bonkers – the government only has the money it collects from you.
I just have to accept the fact that I will have to continue with private cover and that in many cases like this one they will not cover it – pre-existing conditions are excluded for five years. Life…