The Politicialisation Of Health
I watch with horror how health has become a political football both here and in the US. Politicians spouting a great deal of unsubstantiated, oversimplified nonsense about how they know best when it comes to the people’s health. Well the truth is folks, they do not. In the UK, ministers are selected because they have no real experience with the portfolio that they are given. Indeed, it has been said that they are chosen because they are NOT experts. This means that they do not come in with an agenda to move their department forward. Whilst in some ministries this might be a good thing, with health it is an abject mistake. Surely the good of the people is the primary concern of any government. Health is at the very heart of this.
When I see the smiles of the politicians in the States who have just Stuart to dismantle the first fair healthcare system that the US has ever seen, it appals me. Whilst here we have ministers not trained in their portfolios, in the US we have politicians reaping the vast wealth of big insurance and big pharma. They line their electoral warchests with money with scant interest in their constituencies which need good affordable healthcare.
If I were to make a plea to any government anywhere in the world it would be this, leave health care (physical and mental) in the hands of the people who know what they are doing. It is wrong to play politics with people’s health and wellbeing.
