Responsibility

One of the symptoms of overpopulation is the absence of responsibility and accountability between one individual and another in simple day-to-day interactions.

Capitalism thrives on overpopulation. This is basic to its structure. More customers, more widgets sold, more money for the capitalist. In fact, a scarcity of widgets, which inconveniences the widget-buyer, is a good thing for the capitalist, who can charge more per widget. Hence, the gouging of survivors of any disaster by those capitalists who have food and services to sell. This is not human nature. This is capitalist nature.

When capitalism is applied to health care, the result is plain to see in any hospital today. Too many patients, intentionally rationed resources, high prices, overworked providers of care and no accountability. Lack of accountability is almost a necessity in a hospital where the volume of patients exceeds the capacity of the facility. The administrators, capitalists from capitalist university educations, are delighted by this situation. More fees, more money for more buildings and higher administrative salaries. But, the patients receive inadequate care. The providers become irresponsible, because their mandate is dominated now by economic gain, not quality of care.

I recently encountered this process again. A resident physician wrote an incorrect prescription for a necessary pain medication for someone who just had a significant surgical procedure. The physician had not taken the time to research the pain medication in order to prescribe the correct dosage. I took the prescription to the pharmacy, where an overworked and exasperated pharmacy worker refused to fill the prescription. The medication was needed immediately for the surgical patient, whose pain was understandably acute and worsening.

The overworked pharmacist made a minimal attempt to correct the problem: A phone call to a voice machine. I had to pursue the issue for the next three hours by telephone. I was told the erring physician, when contacted, refused to correct the prescription on the grounds that he was "busy". I was told another physician would take care of it. Nothing happened. I called the surgeon's ofice and then managed to speak with one highly motivated and responsive person who took pains to accommodate the patient's comfort needs. Even then, the pharmacist made a frantic protest, upon my return to the pharmacy across town. Though she had the prescription guaranteed from the responsible provider I had contacted, she balked at providing the medication, now two hours overdue for the patient. Her reason: She had not received a fax.

Being committed and feeling highly responsible for the vulnerable and traumatized patient/friend, I had exhausted myself to provide a simple pill two hours later than necessary to control his severe pain. Meanwhile, the capitalist-based providers had made tens of thousands of dollars for delivering irresponsible, unresponsive services. To hold these people to account under the current system is even more exhausting and far from effective in the larger picture. They can simply get away with it by shuffling responsibility around and moving on to make more money.

This is the future, unless enough people say 'no' and work to change the world. This is the whole basis and purpose of practice in a society.