In Defense of Privatized Health Care (or How I Made Schainker Cream Himself)

I recently missed a day of work due to illness.

Upon my return the next day, I was asked by my coworkers whether or not I had seen the doctor. I replied that I hadn’t, that I had instead spent the day resting. This explanation met with a knowing smirk.

Clinics are scattered throughout South Africa that provide free basic healthcare services to anyone who walks in. As a result, most people drop in to the clinic if they start to exhibit any symptoms of illness. Someone insinuated that it is more or less standard practice to bring a clinic note if you take sick leave. Another coworker commented that a lot of people will drop by clinics just to get a note even when they take the day to go to a job interview.

In America, as any visit to your healthcare provider is likely to result in a gouging, we generally wait a couple days on our illnesses to see if bed rest won’t clear up the problem. 99% of the time it does (or at least for me – but you know, I’m from good stock).

So I started thinking about the situation here: every time a member of the community has a mild cough, achy muscles or a job interview, they drop by the clinic – because there is no financial disincentive to going. These clinics are operated by the Department of Health and most definitely have finite budgets. As a result, a given number of clinic personnel with a given stash of medical resources have to divvy their time up between a large number of patients whose symptoms range from critical to nonexistent. To be honest, I cannot speak to the quality of service clinics provide as I have not visited one. But. I would venture a guess. That will not be posted. Because they’re watching.