In rude health

I suppose there is no country in the world where people are fully, or even in a large part, satisfied with the quality of its health service. Poland has seen a gradual but steady split between the public and private health care systems, with more lucrative professions, like dentists or opticians, now in practice uncovered by the obligatory medical insurance. Even though it took a huge step forward, the Polish health care system is notorious for long waiting lines to specialists and poor pay for the staff and there seems to be no viable solution to any of these, or other, hardships.

I'm young enough not be a regular at the doctor's and whenever I go I don't really feel shortchanged or mistreated, but I'm well aware of other patients' problems.

Created 60 years ago, Britain's National Health Service has a way better reputation among its Polish patients, recruited from the recent wave of immigration, but it attracts a lot of criticism from Britions, despite gigantic spending on health care, which accounts for 16% of all government spending (article here). Its undeniable advantage, especially against its American equivalent, is that it's universal and free, so that no one needing medical help is left with a horrendous bill to pay at the end of their treatment. Of course, you may argue, this invites health tourists and serves illegal immigrants all too well, but then it's more a question of fixing the leaks in the system than overhauling it.

With the staff of allegedly 1,6m employees, the NHS operates an impressive network of GP services, health centres, hospitals and recently polyclinics, as well as such institutions as nursing homes.

As for the US, endless reform discussions and bills, followed by controversy and opposition, seem to plague the health system, still leaving a vast group of the Americans uninsured and facing the exorbitant costs of treatment. President Obama's determined to change it for good, but his plans are exposed to uncompromising resistance and the heath issues might turn out to be his harshest test in domestic politics. A short overview of the American health system and debates around it here.