Shot guard told to 'walk it off'

[TheGuru]

A South African security guard who was shot during a robbery was told to 'walk off' the pain.

Hospitals are reportedly refusing to remove the bullet which is still stuck in the side of Phillip Mashiane, 38, reports the local Star newspaper.
He was shot during a burglary at the Johannesburg property of South Africa's ambassador to the United Nations.

The bullet passed through his elbow and entered his body just above the hip, missed his vital organs and stopped beneath the skin on the opposite side of his body.

Mr Mashiane told the paper he was turned away by one private hospital because he could not afford the bills while a public hospital took x-rays and kept him in for observation before sending him home with painkillers.

When he returned, he says a doctor told him to 'walk the pain off'.
Doctors at a third hospital said it could not remove the bullet because Mr Mashiane had started treatment elsewhere.

"I want my life back. I need to work and all I ask is for them to help me," he said.

Thats really bad isnt?

I know we Brits complain about the NHS but we are very lucky to have such a scheme!

[smartsez]

Thats shocking! You'd think they'd have a little more sympathy for him when he spends his time doing such a potentially dangerous job! You'd at least think the South African ambassador would offer some support seing as it happened defending his property!

[TheGuru]

Originally Posted by smartsez

Thats shocking! You'd think they'd have a little more sympathy for him when he spends his time doing such a potentially dangerous job! You'd at least think the South African ambassador would offer some support seing as it happened defending his property!

Yes it seems really unfair doesnt it As Im sure Nutty will confirm things are somewhat culturaly different in SA

[smartsez]

how can you be expected to do that type of job without being insured against accidents that might happen? why would anyone apply for it!

[TheGuru]

Originally Posted by smartsez

how can you be expected to do that type of job without being insured against accidents that might happen? why would anyone apply for it!

Desperate for cash?

[Nutty_ZA]

This is more of an indictment on the state of Public Health Care in South Africa... There is a big uproar going on over here at the moment as our Deputy Health Minister was recently fired for taking an "unauthorised" trip to a HIV/AIDS conference in Spain... whilst our Heath Minister (who advocates the use of Herbal Remedies and eating Garlic as a cure for AIDS and who denies (along with our President) that HIV causes AIDS (South Africa has one of the Highest AIDS rates in the world and we still have a government in denial) was in Hospital for a liver transplant (apparently necessitated due to alcoholism) the deputy minister stepped in and started stepping up the Program of getting ARV drugs to aids sufferers and also caused a major scandal by visiting a state run hospital and expressing her shock at the conditions there(apparently there has been a high number preventable infant mortalities amongst other things)... everyone in the country thinks our Health Minister is a complete Moron and that the Deputy was doing a great job however, the Health Minister is good "buddies" with the president and (apparently) got her deputy fired... if anyone is interested, they can read more about it Here
Sadly, the Security Guard in question probably works for a Private Security company, which would pay minimum wage as it is considered an unskilled job
(Which actually it is as they just get ppl off the streets and give them a gun and a uniform and little if any training) so he probably would not have received any benefits such as Medical Aid (Medical Aid is like an insurance you pay every month (I currently contribute _+- 10% of my salary towards a Medical Aid Scheme, my employer contributes another 10%) which then cover most of your medical costs and allows you to use Private Hospitals etc.)
"Healthcare" in SA is free IF you are not on a Medical Aid scheme and/or you cannot afford to pay for private care... and as can be seen by this particular case, you really DON'T want to end up in a state run hospital even if your life depended on it... The Majority of PPL in the country are on a medical aid of some sort and really only the unemployed or very low-income earners have to use government facilities...

[kazthorn]

Thats disgraceful. We really have it good in Australia.

[Mike]

Originally Posted by Nutty_ZA

This is more of an indictment on the state of Public Health Care in South Africa...

Wow, I never realised that it was that bad. Denial, Ignorance and a lack of health education is no solution.

I really do feel lucky and priviliged to have a government funded health service.

I feel quite sad that it isnt the same elsewhere

Mike...

[Nutty_ZA]

Don't get me wrong, Private Helath Care in this country is probably one of the best in the World... in fact, one of the Private Healthcare companies here have just branched out to Switzerland and have opened a couple of Private Hospitals there...
The majority of People in this country do use Private Healthcare as with Medical Aid, a hosptial stay is normally completely covered... (My Son was in Hospital a few months ago for a week, the bill came to about R20 000-00 and it didn't cost me a cent as my Medical Aid covered the entire cost)...
sadly tho, it is the poor(the unemployed) who suffer as they do have to rely on state healthcare, which is of a very poor standard
We also have a situation in the country now, where we are getting about 16 000(+- 4 000 to 6 000 legally and an estimated 10 000 ilegally) people a day flooding into South Africa from Zimbabwe... the illegal immagrants obviously cannot get jobs or if they do, they end up getting menial or low paying jobs(like security gaurds etc) and are putting a huge strain on South Africa's infrastructure and economy

[Mike]

Yeah I can understand that imigrants can be causing a huge strain to the funding of free services such as hospitals. I can also understand why so many people flee into SA.

Its sad that richer countries dont assist poorer countries more, mind you things could potenialy end up worse off

Mike...