Post: #1

Amazing what a true free market can do for healthcare:
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news...ttarget=no

With people paying out of pocket, doctors can't afford to charge insane amounts.

Quote:In its dealings with suppliers, the hospital group works like a large supermarket, buying expensive items such as heart valves in bulk.

By running the operating theatres from early morning to late at night, six days a week, it is inspired by low-cost airlines which keep their planes in the air as much as possible.

The British-trained surgeon sniffs at the output of Western counterparts who might do a handful of operations a week. Each of his surgeons does up to four a day on a fraction of the wages of those in the West.

"Essentially we realised that as you do more numbers, your results get better and your cost goes down," he said.

Systemic 'collapse'

Public spending on health in India amounts to just four percent of GDP, less than Afghanistan, according to the World Health Organization.

A lack of private insurance and a public system that has "collapsed" according to the country's rural development minister means an estimated 70 percent of healthcare spending is borne by Indians out of their own pockets.

Post: #2

haha, do not doubt that the surgeons in countries in countries with free healthcare don't get enslaved with a 50h+ work week.

Post: #3

/thread-23117.html

Dupe.

Ever notice how people think the free market is great until it comes and kicks them in their ass and grinds their wages down?

Post: #4

It will be really interesting to see how the middles classes react as globalisation and technology beat down their wages.

It seems as if academics, journalists and lawyers are suffering at the moment. Although that seems to be because of the massive number of qualified people chasing too few jobs.

Slate.com covered this awhile ago. It seems pharmacists could be in trouble:

http://www.slate.com/articles/technology...job_2.html