Kicking Up the Health Service

I feel quite pissed off. The reason for this pissed offness is my confrontation with a rather thick piece of extremely red Bureaucratic tape. Namely the regulations under which the Student Welfare Service operates.

The regulation I refer to is the one which allows only students whose parents live outside the regulatory limits to receive free medical help. For the students inside those 'boundaries' the only free medical help available is a complete check up. A fat lot of use that is. What if some poor bastard finds out hes suffering from some disease. He has to go to a doctor 'down town' Now, admittedly the charge of $1.75 per visit is bugger all when compared to overseas rates, but when you consider the facts you will understand why I am pissed off. If like me you live in town for one reason or another while your parents live anywhere else within the boundary you too will probably feel as I do.

Firstly, why has a line been drawn? If you think its for economic reasons, try and account for the money being blown on armory that is crated .up and never used by the government. If you think it is because the doctors will become overworked you will be wrong. That is an excuse not a reason, because that facility can be improved through financial help. The bloody govt. seems preoccupied with obliterating the once world renowned NZ welfare service. Secondly I have implied the welfare service itself is partly to blame for this going on. If just a few students are in my predicament, surely to allow that extra few in won't bugger up the system. If there is a great multitude of student suffering the welfare service should kick up holy hell, and alter the situation for the better. No what do they do? They give you a list of doctors down town to whom you should go, or inform you to see your family doctor. It just so happens that I refuse to fork out $1.75 and pay expenses to go to Upper Hutt to see the family doctor.

Thirdly, and this is a good reason for my refusing to accept the list of doctors names, I have come to the conclusion that doctors have realised they should stretch your recovery over as long a period as possible so that you have to make many many visits $1.75 every bloody time. Cunning isnt it. How many times have you heard your doctor say with a rather authoritative voice "make an appointment to see me next week will you." Fourthly, when will the officialdom realise, a student at 21 years of age is no longer an integral part of the family. He often receives no financial support while at varsity particularly when he has packed his bags and gone. I cannot see the reason why this regulation should not be abolished. If who ever is responsible for it can, will he for my sake explain why.

(editors note: unsigned because student has yet to get his Free complete checkup).