Summary: A Cambridge couple, both MDs and Harvard Medical faculty, have devoted their lives to researching and advocating universal health care. Provocative.
For anyone who doesn't understand what all the fuss is over healthcare, have them listen to this. The two doctors who are interviewed are clear and passionate - though they remain calm, you can hear the anger and frustration in their voices, which adds to the power of what they're saying. My father has been a doctor for 45 years; my mother has managed his practice for much of that time. I can relate when the doctors say their children get to hear their frustrations all the time. I did, too, and this interview supports so much of what I heard.
When people talk about waste and corruption in the system, they generally focus on the exorbitant cost of unnecessary procedures, as did the doctors here. There's also the cost of missed time from work, and the human cost - even a "minor" procedure can cause anxiety, pain/discomfort, and time to recover. While that was implied or mentioned throughout, I wouldn't have minded it being more explicit. But that's a minor quibble with an otherwise powerful program.
Comments for HUMANKIND: Universal Health Care
Produced by David Freudberg
Other pieces by Humankind
Rating Summary
2 comments
Rekha Murthy
Posted on December 12, 2009 at 11:19 AM | Permalink
An excellent, multidimensional survey of our healthcare problems.
For anyone who doesn't understand what all the fuss is over healthcare, have them listen to this. The two doctors who are interviewed are clear and passionate - though they remain calm, you can hear the anger and frustration in their voices, which adds to the power of what they're saying. My father has been a doctor for 45 years; my mother has managed his practice for much of that time. I can relate when the doctors say their children get to hear their frustrations all the time. I did, too, and this interview supports so much of what I heard.
When people talk about waste and corruption in the system, they generally focus on the exorbitant cost of unnecessary procedures, as did the doctors here. There's also the cost of missed time from work, and the human cost - even a "minor" procedure can cause anxiety, pain/discomfort, and time to recover. While that was implied or mentioned throughout, I wouldn't have minded it being more explicit. But that's a minor quibble with an otherwise powerful program.
Lucia Covelli
Posted on September 12, 2009 at 09:12 AM | Permalink
Powerful, vital program.
This program should be broadcast until every American hears it.