The Cost Of Treatment

The cost of treatment is getting more and more expensive. Some doctors charge RM 50-60, just for treating a simple URTI. To me thats seems very steep. In fact I have seen bills almost twice as much for the same type of complaint, though those instances are rare indeed. Nevertheless its mind boggling how a GP can charge such a exhorbitant fee for a simple infection.

The average man on the street would rather go to a government clinic, pay RM1.00, wait for hours, see the doctor for 10 minutes and get prescribed medicines, hopefully the proper ones! There no win win situation here for the average Joe.

So what can be done? Unfortunately I dont have the answers. You people out there who are more informed and knowledgable and of course the powers that be need to brain storm.

While we wait, presumably a very prolonged one, many 'alternative' therapies come to fore. MLM companies are proclaiming remarkable breakthrough supplements for almost all illnesses. The evidence of their efficacy has not been proven to satisfy the standards of medical care. A simple rule of thumb would be, never believe every claim until one has personnally reseached it or experienced the benifit. How many of us would even bother to do this. More often than not we accept it wholesale or reject it in a similar manner. The price of most of these remarkable supplements are not cheap, beyond the reach of many.

What then follows, is the search for cheaper and easier available 'medicine'. As such we see many roadside 'physicians' nowadays, selling their ware with preposterous claims of the miraclous ability of their product to cure any and all illness. And then we have the soothsayers who call themselves 'bomohs' who give all kinds of nonsensical reasons and remedies. The most popular and famous by far is; 'buatan orang' (done by others, using black magic probably).

Suprisingly many many people believe the claims of the soothsayers. Many a time to their own peril.

What then is left?

Home remedies using everyday items such as salt, honey, beans, fruits and vegetables is a very realistic option.

Hopefully in the coming weeks I shall attempt to explore this.