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Hmmm. Speaking of preventable deaths, I guess no one remembers the heat wave which killed thousands of senior citizens in France in the summer of 2003 when the entire country went on vacation. An atrocity like this would have horrified Americans....
Hmmm. Speaking of preventable deaths, I guess no one remembers the heat wave which killed thousands of senior citizens in France in the summer of 2003 when the entire country went on vacation. An atrocity like this would have horrified Americans....
You are absolutely right, it was lamentable. A horrible, horrible fluke. Unlike certain parts of the US, heatwaves of that nature are incredibly rare in France and as such there was little done to prevent the effects of it. Very bad planning.
Air conditioning is virtually non existent in France ( and the rest of Europe) as French people can usually cope with the heat. In those cases it happened during fluke weather conditions and old people's homes were just not prepared for it. Politicians did not handle the situation well at all and only made it a "state of emergency" far too late.
Most of France takes their holidays in July and August and the services were just not there to accommodate the situation at all. Badly planned and I hope it never happens again.
Sad and terrible but a lot better than a system where your wallet decides on the state of your health. Where 49 million have no healthcare. Where greed takes precedence over a basic human right. I'll take the French healthcare system over the US one any time. And having lived in the US and being French and having long term health problems I think I am fairly qualified to make an objective decision.
George Bush could have started a war on heat waves and saved the French had he been in power maybe ?! Had an American person been at the helm of the French government it just would not have happened don't you know ?
I mean we know how good this administration has been at handling natural disasters such as Katrina. Talk about prevention...
No one can prevent heat waves. But this thread is about preventable deaths. Half of France's medical professionals were on vacation when this heat wave struck. I call that poor planning by the country supposedly rated first in the OP. What do you call it?
However, and notwithstanding, it still ranked higher than the States!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Yeledaf
No one can prevent heat waves. But this thread is about preventable deaths. Half of France's medical professionals were on vacation when this heat wave struck. I call that poor planning by the country supposedly rated first in the OP. What do you call it?
You are absolutely right, it was lamentable. A horrible, horrible fluke. Unlike certain parts of the US, heatwaves of that nature are incredibly rare in France and as such there was little done to prevent the effects of it. Very bad planning.
Air conditioning is virtually non existent in France ( and the rest of Europe) as French people can usually cope with the heat. In those cases it happened during fluke weather conditions and old people's homes were just not prepared for it. Politicians did not handle the situation well at all and only made it a "state of emergency" far too late.
Most of France takes their holidays in July and August and the services were just not there to accommodate the situation at all. Badly planned and I hope it never happens again.
Sad and terrible but a lot better than a system where your wallet decides on the state of your health. Where 49 million have no healthcare. Where greed takes precedence over a basic human right. I'll take the French healthcare system over the US one any time. And having lived in the US and being French and having long term health problems I think I am fairly qualified to make an objective decision.
Supposedly superior France blew it in a way that America never has. Thousands of seniors paid with their lives. Your final paragraph is an exercise in rhetorical ruffles and flourishes which cannot conceal the fact that such a puiblic health catastrophe would not -- could not -- ever have happened in the supposedly inferior USA.
No one can prevent heat waves. But this thread is about preventable deaths. Half of France's medical professionals were on vacation when this heat wave struck. I call that poor planning by the country supposedly rated first in the OP. What do you call it?
I liked Mooseketeer's explanation. Having lived in Europe for many years I know that air-conditioning is not common. Extreme heat waves are not the norm in Europe.
The only way to prevent such a disaster again would be to cancel all vacations for all health professionals during the months of July and August, putting them all on stand-by.
However, and notwithstanding, it still ranked higher than the States!
By whom? Two people from the London School of -- what was it? -- Hygeine and Tropical Medicine? Focused on what population? Oh, yes -- people under the age of 75 (thereby conveniently eliminating many of the victims of the French catastrophe). For how long a period of time? Two years.
Pretty selective use of populations, time limit, and manpower. I'd like to see some comparative research done on studies with broader population ranges, over a longer period of time, by a more credible institution.
As it stands, this is just one more piece of winnowed America-bashing. No one on this thread even remembered the French 2003 disaster until I brought it up, and when they were forced to acknowledge it, they used it as a springboard to hurl more insults and slurs at the US, instead of putting it into its proper perspective, as a public health disaster of the first order which shames and humiliates France's medical community to this day.
I liked Mooseketeer's explanation. Having lived in Europe for many years I know that air-conditioning is not common. Extreme heat waves are not the norm in Europe.
The only way to prevent such a disaster again would be to cancel all vacations for all health professionals during the months of July and August, putting them all on stand-by.
So even though France does not have air conditioning, and permits its doctors to go on vacation ever summer, it is still superior to America in limiting preventable deaths?
We are just not as intellect, clever or well read as you are, and clearly your knowledge is superior to the London School of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.
No debate!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Yeledaf
By whom? Two people from the London School of -- what was it? -- Hygeine and Tropical Medicine? Focused on what population? Oh, yes -- people under the age of 75 (thereby conveniently eliminating many of the victims of the French catastrophe). For how long a period of time? Two years.
Pretty selective use of populations, time limit, and manpower. I'd like to see some comparative research done on studies with broader population ranges, over a longer period of time, by a more credible institution.
As it stands, this is just one more piece of winnowed America-bashing. No one on this thread even remembered the French 2003 disaster until I brought it up, and when they were forced to acknowledge it, they used it as a springboard to hurl more insults and slurs at the US, instead of putting it into its proper perspective, as a public health disaster of the first order which shames and humiliates France's medical community to this day.
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