No, Michael Moore is not a Sicko. He is a filmmaker with balls who has guts to make films on subject that profit-oriented filmmakers do not touch with a 20 feet pole. He has been using his camera to start debate on various issues from Gun Control to Unneccesary Wars and Profiteering, in order to bring changes in the US and the World.
Sicko is the name of the latest documentary that he made about the broken health care system in America.
One of the victims of this health care system lost both his fingers and the hospital gave him two options. Re-attach the middle finger for $60,000 or do the ring finger for $12,000. Being a hopeless romantic, that guy chose the ring finger for the bargain price of 12 grand. The top of his middle finger now enjoys its new home in an Oregon landfill.
Even with proper insurance so many benefits are denied like this woman who was taken to the hospital in an ambulance after a head-on car collision. The insurance did not pay for the ride.
I experienced this broken system first hand when I was diagnosed with a Hernia in 2005 and Doc recommend a minor outpatient surgery. That was the first time I was going to be cut so I was doing some heavy research in hernia forums. I came across many folks who had the same problem but were living with pain, as they could not afford a $7000 - $10,000 surgery cost. My heart went out to them, as I knew the severity of the pain. Surgery cost me $7500 out of which I paid about $700. (It would have cost me $2 in Nair Hospital in Bombay or about $200 in a private hospital.)
These days I am seeing a Dentist and even though I have an excellent insurance coverage. The Dentist did my exam and gave me a menu with prices tags to extend my chewing life. The total is $2200 with insurance coverage. Today, I can fly to India for $1200, be with my family n other jebronis, and get the same treatment done for $75 with a private Doc or for 5 Rupees in a Government run hospital.
I have been missing Indian health care system. These are the times when I develop respect and admiration even for the tainted politicians of India, for keeping health care the way it has been.
I think a man / woman should consider him a success if he/she has the ability, irrespective of dollars in his pocket, to lay on the beach and watch the sun go down and who on his / her death bed says “ man I did my part, I tried to justify my birth...thank you all for your support”. To me that is a well-spent life.
India is blessed to have a good numbers of Social Activist like Ananat Patwardhan, Mahesh Bhatt, Javed Anand, Teesta Stelvad, Shabana Azmi, Arundahti Roy and many others. These people are going to be so in much peace and sukoon at the time of their deaths, as they would have done their parts in this world.
No matter what religion these jebronis belong to, the administration up there (if it rewards human goodness) will have a hard time denying them a permanent abode in heaven....
We shall see….
5 comments:
lot of soul searching there..
I totally agree abt the health care system abroad.. my friend who si doing his MS in USA had some breathing problem recently.
And he has an appointment fixed with a specialist only in august. thats 2 months down the lane.How saD!
You can hav a peaceful death, if u do the little you are supposed to do.. u neednt be a celebrity social worker.. Mahesh Bhatt!! No ways!!
Nasia,
You are right about the apointmnet thingy here. Even if you have serious toothach, you wouid be lucky to get an appointment within a week....
I dunno where they are taking this system to?
If an Indian celebrity film maker that comes close to the conviction and daring of Moore it would be Bhatt Saab. I wonder why other celebrities spent later part of thier lives watching thier old films on DVD and criticizing present lot.
These so called ex-Heroes and Heroines could have picked up on any social ill of India and could have just devoetd thier retired life to it.....India would have benfited so much....
Khair.....Dekhte hain...
Nasia,
Aane ke liye Shukriya.....
:)
Peace...
Hurray!India counted over US..
well, its easy to say that celebrities could have chosen to take any social cause and devoted to their "retired life" to it..but kya hum ismein pehal karenge...
well,wo umar do aane do..;)
Hum celebrities khaan hoon bhai jo pehal karoon? Hum to aam aadmi hoon...!!!
There was one Marad Baccha called Sunil Dutt, who lived like a "Hero" and died fighhting the forces he fought all his life. Think of his contemporaries, what the hell they did? Now they are waiting for death in some corners of thier homes.
When I was with Anupam Kher, I useed to run into these "legends" but I used to get angry, and refused to shake hands with them. Kiya kiya tum ne nation ke liye? Ishq kiye, chawaani - attahni kamayee, Premier attend kiye..bas... budhe ho gaye...
Just imaginme AB, or SRK participating in some social movements...
ps: Bduha apun to 12 saal ki age se hoon...
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