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http://tinyurl.com/l6ror3
I really don't know what to think about this. What do you think? Such a thing must exist elsewhere in the world: has it been successful?
J F R
The paradox has often been noted that the United States, founded in secularism, is now the most religiose country in Christendom, while England, with an established church headed by its constitutional monarch, is among the least. (Richard Dawkins, 2006)
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Macky
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Really getting into it |
Location: USA
Registered: November 2008
Messages: 973
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J F R
There is no doubt that this would be a great convenience for the gay community.
The question is, will such a clinic draw enough clients to warrant its costs. In a large city like Tel Aviv or New York, I would assume that the answer would be yes. However, in smaller places it would be hard to justify the cost. Social Service organizations should stand ready to refer gays to sympathetic doctors in these areas. In the end though, I think it is good for all gays/bi to be frank with their doctor about their sexual orientation. Younger gays seem to have more courage to do this, than in the past. Yet, even I told my doctor about my sexual orientation when I was young and active. He was wonderful, referring me to a psychiatrist friend of his when I expressed an interest, and even asking if I would like him to introduce me to a gay colleague. So I think you can get the same care in more traditional settings. But it does take a modicum of courage.
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is
For brothers to dwell together in unity!
Ps 133:1 NASB
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... a similar "topic" had been discussed when I was openly urging a then seriously ailing American friend (with no Health Insurance) who frequented this Forum, to cross the border (he resided in the upper Ohio-Indiana, lower Michigan area of the United States) into Canada. I would have arranged housing for him through a female friend in Windsor, and he could have attended the publicly funded "Hassle Free Clinic" there.
It's been a number of years since, and I have no idea whether the network of clinics is still in operation Ontario-wide, or not; but, the Toronto location is still alive and well located at:
http://www.hasslefreeclinic.org/index.html
Neither names nor proof of Health Insurance were required to seek, and receive, treatment through these centres.
At it's heyday (the late 1980's) clinics were operating in most urban Ontario centres, servicing a largely gay-oriented clientele although they were tasked with assisting anyone, and everyone, anonymously regardless of their sexual orientation, or Citizenship status in Canada.
In addition, under our National Medicare programme, all Medical Practitioner's in Canada are encouraged to reveal either their sexual orientation, or their objection to treating by sexual orientation, to their Provincial Health Insurer (in my case the Ontario Health Insurance Programme) in order to facilitate client requests for the provision of services by personnel who are orientation friendly. This has been the practice nationally for well over 30-years, or more.
Moreover, the Chief Medical Officer of Health in each Municipality are required to be orientation friendly in setting policy when issues specific to gender or orientation surface from time to time (as it will and does) in publicly funded Health Care facilities.
I became personally aware of this latter situation, in 1990, when it became necessary to have the then Chief Medical Officer of Health of Toronto intervene, and order, a local (publicly funded) Home for the Aged to admit an AIDS-afflicted friend of mine named Robert when it became too onerous on him to travel by ambulance thrice weekly to my home from a clinic downtown. I was his Financial, Legal and Medical Trustee at the time.
The Administrator of the Home was refusing admittance on the grounds of his having AIDS, this notwithstanding the adjacent Hospital (located directly across the road from where I then resided and who owned the land the Home for the Aged was built on), and their Administration, having been urging me for months to transfer Robert there so that they could provide treatment for him at one and the same time as their staff acquiring the knowledge and skills to be able to treat others without having to refer them to clinics downtown.
Sadly, Robert passed away the day he was to be transferred after a long and protracted legal battle had ensued in order to make that possible.
Warren C. E. Austin
Toronto, Canada
[Updated on: Tue, 02 June 2009 18:55]
"... comme recherché qu'un délice callipygian"
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Cameron
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Toe is in the water |
Registered: January 2008
Messages: 70
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Warren, it's great that Canada has clinics like that available. Hopefully, our country will learn something from Canada about health care and helping people who are uninsured or under insured.
Cameron
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