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THE MUSLIMS
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THE MUSLIMS
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March z. 2012
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Perverting Health Care into a Luxury Item
J im H ightower
is, for all super-rich people .
In these trying times of health
These folks are so rich they can
care austerity, it reaffirms one’s faith buy their way into “am enities
in humanity to learn that many hos units” built into secluded sections
pitals are now going the extra mile to of many hospitals. It’s not m edi
provide top quality care for all. That cal care that they’re peddling to
by
^ o rtia n h (0hserver
Established in 1970
is “Committed to Cultural Diversity”
Diversity Works at
The Portland Observer
Joyce Washington
1937-1996
Co-Founder
Æl’r | J o r t la t t ò 0 f )b s e ru e r
PO. Box 3137
4747 N.E. Martin L. King Jr. Blvd.
Portland, OR 97208
Portland, Oregon 97211
ww w.portlandobserver.com
an elite clientele, but the
personal pam pering that
the superrich expect in
all aspects o f their lives.
“I was supposed to
be in Buenos Aires last
week taking tango les
sons,” a Wall Street ex
ecutive explained matter-of-factly
to a New York Times reporter. “But
unfortunately, 1 hurt my back, so
I'm here with my concierge.”
A hospital with a concierge?
Yes. T here’s one called Eleven
W est, an exclusive wing of New
Y ork’s Mount Sinai Medical Cen
ter. “We pride ourselves on get
ting anything the patient wants,”
beam ed its director o f hospitality.
“If they have a craving for lobster
tails, and we d o n ’t have them on
the menu, w e’ll go out and get
them .”
From New York to Los A nge
les, hospitals that draw huge sub
sidies from taxpayers
It's repugnant for the plutocratic
(and often are so over elite to pervert health care into a
cro w d ed th at re g u la r luxury commodity. It splits asunder
patients are lucky to get America's essential, uniting prin
a gurney in the hallway) ciple of the common good. To push
have set aside en tire for a national policy that treats health
floors for $2,400-a-day care as a fundamental human need
deluxe suites. They come — for all — contact Physicians for
From New York to Los Angeles, hospitals
that draw huge subsidies from taxpayers
(and often are so overcrowded that regular
patients are lucky to get a gurney in the
hallway) have set aside entire floors fo r
$2,400-a-day deluxe suites.
with butlers, 5-star meals, marble a N ational H ealth Program at
baths, im ported bed sheets, spe pnhp.org.
1
cial kitchens, and other am enities
Jim Hightower is a radio com
for swells who have both insur mentator, writer, and public
ance and cash to burn.
speaker.