I tried to explain to a pro-lifer at the Town Hall that the high infant mortality in the US means that for every baby who dies, there are many others who suffer unnecessary disabilities. What a price to pay, over a lifetime.
Thousands dead from lack of access to health care means that many more suffer from diseases that could be prevented or treated. Here’s one we see all the time. From AP…
Limb-salvage experts say many of the 80,000-plus amputations of toes, feet and lower legs that diabetics undergo each year are preventable if only patients got the right care for their feet. Yet they’re frustrated that so few do until they’re already on what’s called the stairway to amputation, suffering escalating foot problems because of a combination of ignorance — among patients and doctors — and payment hassles. [read the rest if you want a very informative article about the cost of diabetes]
That it’s labor-intensive to provide wound care is not a total loss. Money spent employs workers who pay taxes. Kind of stimulating. And if the Canadians ever attack, Americans are going to need two good legs to defend the border.
