NPR started focusing on international healthcare systems and yesterday, they talked about the Netherlands. As I was listening there were many things that came into light about our failing healthcare system, including the american standard of taking a pill, for anything, and it will all be better. The Dutch, like most europeans, see this as the 'American way', and what I wonder is; why Americans don't see it!? Why is it so bad to feel pain if something is wrong? The Netherlands spends less than half what the United States does on medications per person, half! This is obviously a tricky subject, but NPR handled the story very well and, I think, with a very interesting approach.They also talk a bit about the birthing system in the Netherlands, where most are home-births. Birthing in the Netherlands is thought of not as something you should go to the hospital for because it's natural, and not an illness, less hospital costs therefore their healthcare system costs less (obviously it's not just the birthing). The result is an infant mortality rate that is 20% lower than the US system, oh, the harsh reality. They also talk about more and more women wanting to go to the hospital and birth where it's normal to have an epidural...but the support for home birthing is so great and less than 8% are hospital births.
NPR is always working in ways for us to see things in a new way, and I like that...so take a listen to the story and tell me what you think! also, I would like to hear from some other countries about their healthcare ideas and woes...
to listen to the story go to their website at www.npr.org and click on Netherlands' Health Care Reflects National Values or just click here.
