Posted by alexandra_k on June 8, 2021, at 18:03:22
In reply to Re: First Dog, posted by sigismund on June 6, 2021, at 3:19:58
> The general rationale is starve it of funding, complain that it is useless and just for the elites, then privatise it. Just see what happens to the ABC.
> All they want are the revenue streams for awarding commercial in confidence contracts in closed tenders who funnel it back to them somehow.Yes.
That's what NZ does. Everything except the 'just for the elites' thing. Our version is 'compulsory for the people'.
It's what we do with the health system and the education system etc. To motivate and inspire people (the people the government chooses to pay megabucks to) to invest in the private sector.
The DHB's (District Health Boards) didn't maintain the buildings. Didn't spend the money they were supposed to on Medical Supplies. Didn't want to spend the money they were supposed to on hospital staff. Didn't want staff complaining about the state of the buildings or the lack of medical supplies. Wanted staff who would be complicit in not using supplies and not complaining about the lack of supplies.
We've got some Medical staff who cry cry cry and will strike for more money. But they want more money as hazard pay. They accept the unsafe working conditions. They accept the lack of medical supplies. Nurses accept that they get to re-write doctors prescriptions (because there aren't any doctors about mostly) and so on... The power they have to do whatever they want with impunity. If it is about that. Rather than about providing the highest standard of quality care to the people.
They pay mega bucks to a few (a very few) private contractors to get things done, occasionally. They operate out of private rooms. Private hospitals. Small hospitals. Small clinics, really, with only 1 OR and maybe capacity for 8 patients for a single overnight stay before discharge. That kind of a thing. NOt quite operating out the back of a bus and driving off -- but almost. The public hospitals are left picking up the pieces if there are complications. And patients need to take their own stitches out. Or go to their GP for post-surgical care.
What is really scary is what they are up to with aged care facilities.
They were trying to move them into looking after younger people, too. Closing some spinal unit there was in Auckland so young people with newly acquired spinal injuries (e.g., tetraplegia) were going to have various aspects of their care removed (physiotherapy, pool rehabilitation) and they were going to stick them in aged care facilities so they could make the same amount of money off of keeping them in the private sector with less services after closing down the public unit.
The management and administration and board takes exhorbitant salaries for themselves while starving the workers and eliminating the services and not purchasing the supplies. Cheaper and cheaper food contracts. Prison food. Worse. Guts it. Literally. Like plagues of locusts.
Then funnels the money into setting up or fancy buildings for a private hospital they are also on the board of. Or are investing in.
Stealing from the public sector to fuel a private sector.
That is corruption. Taking from the public sector and using it for private advantage.
poster:alexandra_k
thread:1115081
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/poli/20210605/msgs/1115482.html