Haight Ashbury
We'd been again in Haight Ashbury for a short visit and today we met a doctor of the "Haight Ashbury Free Clinic".
He tells us something about the Clinics and his work in the 60s and nowadays.
The Haight Ashbury Free Clinic is today - like 40 years ago - a place to refuge for drug addicts, alcoholics, homeless and sick people without health insurance.
Those, who come to the Victorian house with the painted hallways and posters of rock concerts at the corner of Haight and Clayton Street setting, will be treated free of charge.
"Peace, joy, pancake," is written on the walls. "Love" and "Led Zeppelin".
"Health care is a right and not a privilege that is the motto of the clinic, until today," explains David, the doctor with the white hair.
It was 1967, the first "neighborhood clinic" in the United States, which quickly turned into a place to go for drug-addicted hippies and young runaways.
With subsititudies from the city, 600 volunteers and 185 employees, the Free Clinic with branch offices in other parts of the city, treats 20 000 patients, now.
"The problems today are much bigger," says the 60-year-old David. "Back in the 60’s and 70’s people came here after bad LSD trips or wanted help with STDs. Today we have much stronger drugs, long-term addicts with chronic diseases, diabetes, AIDS, hepatitis and often psychiatric problems."
Many patients, leave the clinic after a short time - "We are totally underpaid, it lacks in all corners, but we do not give up," says the doctor and thinks, that his tireless commitment comes from the "remaining spirit and idealism of the 60;s" too.
To us German people, this may sound a little strange, because having a health insurance is a basic thing in our country.
The insurance is a must, it is partly paid by the company you're working for.
If you go to a doctor in Germany, the only thing you have to pay for is a toll of 15 Dollars, which is obligate since (do not know what you mean here with the word ‘since’. Perhaps ‘for’?) or do you mean the law changed and for the last 2 years it is now a requirement?)2 years.
Everything, except "ununsual" treatments like teeth bleaeching at the dentist, are paid by your health insurance company.
If you have a "private" health insurance, you pay the treatments in advance - but you get the money back from you insurance.
It is to me unbelievable, why that there is no obligate and affortable health insurance system in the Number One Industrial Country in the world.?
In America you can tell stories for people, who lost their houses, just because they became ill - maybe very bad ill- had no health insurance and had to pay for their own treatments over years!
It is one of the major problems in the USA, which causes poverty.
It is one of the major tasks, which do the presidential candidates have to face: the guarantee for everyone to have a affordtable health insurance.
If you want to support the Haight Ashbury Free Clinics, please visit http://www.hafci.org/
We'd been again in Haight Ashbury for a short visit and today we met a doctor of the "Haight Ashbury Free Clinic".
He tells us something about the Clinics and his work in the 60s and nowadays.
The Haight Ashbury Free Clinic is today - like 40 years ago - a place to refuge for drug addicts, alcoholics, homeless and sick people without health insurance.
Those, who come to the Victorian house with the painted hallways and posters of rock concerts at the corner of Haight and Clayton Street setting, will be treated free of charge.
"Peace, joy, pancake," is written on the walls. "Love" and "Led Zeppelin".
"Health care is a right and not a privilege that is the motto of the clinic, until today," explains David, the doctor with the white hair.
It was 1967, the first "neighborhood clinic" in the United States, which quickly turned into a place to go for drug-addicted hippies and young runaways.
With subsititudies from the city, 600 volunteers and 185 employees, the Free Clinic with branch offices in other parts of the city, treats 20 000 patients, now.
"The problems today are much bigger," says the 60-year-old David. "Back in the 60’s and 70’s people came here after bad LSD trips or wanted help with STDs. Today we have much stronger drugs, long-term addicts with chronic diseases, diabetes, AIDS, hepatitis and often psychiatric problems."
Many patients, leave the clinic after a short time - "We are totally underpaid, it lacks in all corners, but we do not give up," says the doctor and thinks, that his tireless commitment comes from the "remaining spirit and idealism of the 60;s" too.
To us German people, this may sound a little strange, because having a health insurance is a basic thing in our country.
The insurance is a must, it is partly paid by the company you're working for.
If you go to a doctor in Germany, the only thing you have to pay for is a toll of 15 Dollars, which is obligate since (do not know what you mean here with the word ‘since’. Perhaps ‘for’?) or do you mean the law changed and for the last 2 years it is now a requirement?)2 years.
Everything, except "ununsual" treatments like teeth bleaeching at the dentist, are paid by your health insurance company.
If you have a "private" health insurance, you pay the treatments in advance - but you get the money back from you insurance.
It is to me unbelievable, why that there is no obligate and affortable health insurance system in the Number One Industrial Country in the world.?
In America you can tell stories for people, who lost their houses, just because they became ill - maybe very bad ill- had no health insurance and had to pay for their own treatments over years!
It is one of the major problems in the USA, which causes poverty.
It is one of the major tasks, which do the presidential candidates have to face: the guarantee for everyone to have a affordtable health insurance.
If you want to support the Haight Ashbury Free Clinics, please visit http://www.hafci.org/
1 comment:
Haight Ashbury ist leider nur noch eine touristische Location - doch dort ist Rockgeschichte geschrieben worden, ML
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