IF I WERE THE HEALTH MINISTER I WOULD START CLOSING HOSPITALS
But wait — don’t we need to build more and more hospitals?
It’s an interesting title — HEALTH minister. So is that the person who is responsible for promoting health or sickness?
THE PROBLEMS OF BUILDING EVEN MORE HOSPITALS
1. We should all be concerned about the cost of hospitals. The economic impact of managing everyone’s mental and physical health, will, one day implode
2. The more hospitals we build, the more people will use them!
3. We should all be concerned about the ever-increasing mental and physical health of our nation and provide education on self-management of mind, body and soul.
4. Be aware of the fear factor. If you are fearful and worry about getting sick, then you certainly increase your chances of that happening.
5. We should all be concerned about the blatant and unashamed promotion of the ‘supposed’ benefits of taking anything from a vitamin pill, panadol, to more hard-core medications. A recent study in the USA sited children as young as 6 yrs age, who would not go to bed until a parent gave them ‘their’ Melatonin.
WHAT ARE WE TEACHING OUR CHILDREN?
If a child grows up observing their parents taking ‘pills’ on a regular basis then this becomes their ‘normal’.
And it is irrelevant as to what type of medicine the parent (or other significant person in child’s life) is consuming. The clear message for the child is — taking pills is normal.
IT IS NOT!
Life can throw up some big surprises. We can endure the discomfort or embrace the challenge and see where it leads us
We must start teaching our children to get comfortable with discomfort
WHAT IS A HOSPITAL’S ROLE?
Hospitals are there to provide medical care for ‘serious’ medical issues.
If you have a broken bone or an injury requiring suturing to stop bleeding, or acute appendicitis which requires surgery. All pretty obvious!
PEOPLE EXPECT TO GET SICK
You’ve only got to sit in a coffee shop and overhear conversations, among all age groups, about their ‘health’ problems. What the doctor, chiropractor, naturopath, surgeon, specialist said about their issue. What drugs they are taking — to ‘cure’ the problem. What tests have been ordered to assess if there are even more problems. People talk about their ‘health’ issues. “I am battling some major health issues at the moment”….???? My friend has chronic back pain and this is what ‘so-and-so’ told her! Followed by the inevitable comparisons — ‘you should try this doctor or other health professional because they……………
I don’t know about you but I find this extraordinary.
There is a general mindset, an assumption that you will get sick!
Putting aside that little pandemic thing, for a moment, at any ‘other’ time hospitals are heaving with ‘sick’ people.
And don’t get me started on the population who are at the opposite end to youth!
This is not an expectation but a GIVEN! Sickness will reign supreme once you exhibit a gentle softening of the facial muscles accompanied by grey hair (attractive though that can be).
Don’t get me wrong because I do know, all too well, how amazing and life saving hospitals are. I have spent a good part of my career working in hospitals.
SO WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF WE CLOSED HOSPITALS??
Obviously not all hospitals! We would need a gentle transition because it is changing a belief — the belief that it is normal to get sick
It takes time to change a belief.
It would, eventually, change the mindset of a generation.
The new mindset would look like this:
1. Hospitals are great in the rare event you need them
2. It would almost be an embarrassment to admit you needed the services a hospital offered, unlike the current obsession with sickness ‘I am more sick than you, I have a much bigger problem than you do’, I am taking bigger, better, stronger medication than you…….
3. People would be more attuned to the importance of looking after their own health and it would be seen as ‘normal’
LOOKING AFTER YOUR OWN HEALTH — What a concept!
If we spend our hard-earned money on a new car, house, furniture, clothes, we are going to look after this purchase. We will clean and polish and wash and iron and take care. Because we can see it, touch it, take photos, any deterioration will be obvious.
The human body is the most amazing piece of engineering.
I have a very clear memory of seeing open heart surgery in my final year of nursing.
It was miraculous and awe-inspiring.
What a privilege to see this beating heart, in all its magnificent construct.
The patient was an overweight male in his early 50’s, a heavy smoker, so his heart didn’t look pretty.
BUT the problem is we cannot see what’s happening on our INSIDE
Taking responsibility for our own health allows us to make the connection between outside and inside. It is empowering.
Don’t hand over your power to a pill or person, unless absolutely necessary.
Take control and let’s start closing some of those hospitals. It will ultimately change a belief and the new belief looks like this:
1. Feeling healthy is normal
2. The coffee shop conversation can change to interesting, stimulating topics
3. I value my sleep (7–9 hours/night is normal)
4. I value my exercise — move your body daily. You do not need to enrol in a gym or exercise class. A simple walk in nature, swim in the ocean will keep you healthy
5. Eat healthy food (it really is a no-brainer!) No processed or junk food (did I really have to state that?)
6. Listen to music, sing in a choir, dance and socialise with ‘interesting’ people
7. Take time each day to sit in silence and focus on all the positive things in your life
8. BREATHE — value the power of deep slow breathing