Do people stand in lines for hours for medical care in your country?
 

How awful to live in a country where thousands of citizens who don't have access to dental care are forced to spend the night waiting in line in sub-freezing temperatures so volunteer doctors and dentists can help. Normally the US would send aid to help places like that, but it was Portland, Oregon last night, and sending aid would be considered socialist medicine.

Thousands line up for free dental work at Convention Center | kgw.com | Portland News, Local News, Breaking News, Weather | Health News

PORTLAND, Ore. -- More than 1,200 dental health care professionals were offering free dental care at the Oregon Convention Center this week.
Patients were invited to come in starting at 5:30 a.m. on Monday and Tuesday and many started waiting in the chilly temps starting Sunday night.
The first Mission of Mercy on the West Coast and Oregon Dental Association partenered with community and businesses to provide the exams, X-rays, and complete surgical care.
On Monday alone, volunteers helped 761 people.

Yes........

Yes, for some inexcusable reason ($$$) insurance companies and corporations still consider dentistry to be a non-essential medical expense and fail to provide insurance benefits, or provide only the barest minimum coverage. This despite the proof that dental issues can quickly turn into to cardiac, nutritional, and septic issues that can be life threatening.

And yet there are other less critical medical issues that they don't hestitate to help with the cost to the patient.

That aside, there is a serious lack of basic dental providers that those with or without insurance can access.

To stay in line for hours at the dentist no, but first you have to go to a family care medic, which will give you a sending to the dentist, and here you loose you're hours...a lot of hours.

Its free, but the only treatment you'll be receiving is getting out all your teeth, regardless of the measure in which they are deteriorated/treatable.

Almost the same in any other medical domain, first a line up at the family care medic, where you spend a lot of time, then some basic, very basic free treatment at the specialized medic. Even with the free service, a small bribe is a must... I really hate the medical system here.

Private insurance is very rare in my country, all medical care is based on the social health system and the bribe you give to the medics, nurses, etc.
I am lucky I can afford to pay one, so in case something happens I am able to go to a private hospital (that's a must if you wanna live).

Amazing, simply amazing. I'm watching a video where people are standing huge lines to get free dental treatment... in a country with the largest economy in the world. I cannot help but laugh, because it reminds of a video I saw a while ago.

So this is just a one-time special occasion in Portland?

I live in Frog land so; no! I think there'd be an uprising in France if had to stand in lines for hours for any kind of medical care!

In Belgium, it depends of why are we going to...

If it's for to simply make an examination/radio in hospital, it may take from 10 min to 2 hours...

For the huge emergencies, not more than 5 min

For small emergencies, it takes around 20 min to make firsts tests, then you have to wait atleast the same time...

For our doctor and/or dentist, around 20 min

But the worst thing in Belgium...
Ambulance/Fire departement SHOULD NOT DRIVE FASTER THAN... speed limits...
If a house is burning and with 2-3 peoples inconscious... The fire trucks and ambulance must come too late (when the house is already destroyed and when the peoples are in coma) because they have to drive at 50 km/h in villages/towns...
If they exceed speed, they needs to pay fines --"
The most stupid thing for these departments...

what about accident and emergency? we often have to wait ages for that when they are busy.


We are lucky with our local doctors surgery-- if we phone early in the morning- often we can get an appointment for that day.

Not sure what will happen with cameron and Cleggs interference though-- expecting the doctors to take on the admin and finances etc etc.

I am extremely grateful to our NHS who are under a lot of stress and demands

also I see there have been protests about raising the age of retirement to 62.


How lucky are the French. Ours are likely to make us work till our mid seventies if the govt. have their way. Men usually retire at 65-- but that wil be pushed foreward to work longer

I think it is a yearly thing, but it was special because it was unusually cold this particular night, and that people were waiting more than 12 hours in advance.

There are also free medical check-ups that happen at a local church once every two months or so. This happens thanks to the church and volunteer medical staff.