Tzachi Gadish
So what is the third leading cause of death in the United States after
cancer and heart disease? Diabetes, obesity? Nope. It’s doctor -related
errors! Really? you say. Yes, said the Journal of the American Medical
Association (AMAA) in its July issue. Here are some staggering numbers.
Not to shock you, I’ll start with the smaller numbers. 7,000 people
died from”medication errors in hospitals”. 12,000 died because
of unnecessary surgery. 20,000 deaths “happened” just from hospital
errors alone! 80,000 patients are dead, sadly, because of infections contracted
inside the hospitals. An additional 106,000 people died from “non
error adverse effects of medications”. A frightening total of 225,000
people are dying a year. That’s More than 600 people per day. A lot
of lives were ruined by those who died unnecessarily. A lot of angry families
have lost their faith in the medical profession. Do we hear an outcry
or a protest? Perhaps in the courts of law and in family gatherings. The
World Health Organization (WHO) has given the United States low marks
for overall health care.. Higher rankings were given to Mediterranean
countries and Japan. The criteria were not only how long people live but
also how long they live in good health. Those countries were credited
with healthy diets and good eating habits.
For all the money we spend on health care, the findings were very troubling.
All the fancy operations and complicated procedures do not help the general
population that much. We should divert some money towards low-cost preventive
care. Educate and guide people to achieve a better way of healthy living.
We have to focus on prevention, from living a healthy lifestyle and eating
a nutritious diet, to stress management and avoidance of toxins. It will
be hard for most Americans to adjust to new eating habits. We are addicted
to sugary snacks, fast foods, fatty processed meals and carbonated drinks.
We are taking prescription drugs at a higher rate, and also at double
the price, than in Europe and Canada. The medications can deplete our
bodily nutrients. Preventative care will need the assistance of nutritional
supplements from herbs and vitamins, and a radical change in our food
consumption and exercise regimen. To life. L’chayim.