Is Health Care a Human Right?

Jazzy · Post by **Jazzy** » Wed Dec 09, 2009 8:57 am

I just wanted to see what people thought of this question. I saw it posted on another forum and got me thinking. Simple poll: Yes or No. The results are anonymous unless you post what you voted.

Ahso! · Post by **Ahso!** » Wed Dec 09, 2009 9:06 am

Sorry to do this to you, Jazzy, but I'll need a definition for 'human rights."

Post by **spot** » Wed Dec 09, 2009 9:07 am

It depends on which legislative body you reside under. Human rights are declared by statute, they don't exist in any other sense. They change from time to time. It used to be a human right to own slaves, for example, or to exercise authority within the family by physically beating the wife, children and servants.

Elvira · Post by **Elvira** » Wed Dec 09, 2009 9:09 am

I think that every individual has a right to take care of their own health, or to not have another negatively impact their health, but a RIGHT to healthcare? I don't think so - that's not to say I don't think that the NHS and equivalent are great systems, but I don't think that it's our RIGHT as humans......

hoppy · Post by **hoppy** » Wed Dec 09, 2009 9:21 am

We have a right to seek care or care for ourselves. Not long ago our kin treated their own ills. Some of these home remedies worked, some didn't, just like today's medicines.

Post by **spot** » Wed Dec 09, 2009 9:30 am

hoppy;1271292 wrote: We have a right to seek care or care for ourselves. Not long ago our kin treated their own ills. Some of these home remedies worked, some didn't, just like today's medicines.

That deals with the Americans then, hoppy. So do we Europeans a human right to health care, in your opinion?

hoppy · Post by **hoppy** » Wed Dec 09, 2009 9:51 am

spot;1271299 wrote: That deals with the Americans then, hoppy. So do we Europeans a human right to health care, in your opinion?

Look after yourselves however you want.

yaaarrrgg · Post by **yaaarrrgg** » Wed Dec 09, 2009 9:58 am

I think the question could be rephrase as a legal or moral question. On the latter, this question is equivalent to:

If a person is sick or injured, and we are capable of helping, is it morally permissible to do nothing and watch them die?

yaaarrrgg · Post by **yaaarrrgg** » Wed Dec 09, 2009 10:00 am

hoppy;1271303 wrote: Look after yourselves however you want.

I don't recall Jesus teaching the virtues of selfishness. What did he say... help the sick, feed the poor? Not rape the kids, and withhold health care.

Post by **spot** » Wed Dec 09, 2009 10:01 am

yaaarrrgg;1271304 wrote: I think the question could be rephrase as a legal or moral question. On the latter, this question is equivalent to:

If a person is sick or injured, and we are capable of helping, is it morally permissible to do nothing and watch them die?

Just die? Or would you like to include suffer in that as well? Or are you only proposing a moral responsibility to save life instead of improve it?

yaaarrrgg · Post by **yaaarrrgg** » Wed Dec 09, 2009 10:08 am

spot;1271308 wrote: Just die? Or would you like to include suffer in that as well? Or are you only proposing a moral responsibility to save life instead of improve it?

Yes, I'd include 'suffer' as well.

IMO we have a moral obligation to help prevent suffering as well.

koan · Post by **koan** » Wed Dec 09, 2009 10:31 am

I choose to believe that people who choose a career in healthcare do so because they want to heal people, not because they want to acquire money. That's not to say they shouldn't get paid for services, just that I like to believe they value healing more than money.

I'm not a healthcare worker but I've always gone out of my way to help sick people get better in whatever way I could. I've spent a lot of money and invested a lot of personal resources (time, energy work etc) on doing everything in my power to help people heal. I've had to learn that the people I'm trying to help have to at least match my efforts to heal themselves or I'm wasting my resources. Point being, I have never thought about whether they have a right to my attentions, I see it from the opposite pov of my having a duty of compassion.

I voted yes because a no vote implies we shouldn't care. The success of the human race depends upon us having compassion for each other. Not legislated compassion, natural and innate compassion.

Ahso! · Post by **Ahso!** » Wed Dec 09, 2009 10:35 am

koan;1271321 wrote: I choose to believe that people who choose a career in healthcare do so because they want to heal people, not because they want to acquire money. That's not to say they shouldn't get paid for services, just that I like to believe they value healing more than money.

I'm not a healthcare worker but I've always gone out of my way to help sick people get better in whatever way I could. I've spent a lot of money and invested a lot of personal resources (time, energy work etc) on doing everything in my power to help people heal. I've had to learn that the people I'm trying to help have to at least match my efforts to heal themselves or I'm wasting my resources. Point being, I have never thought about whether they have a right to my attentions, I see it from the opposite pov of my having a duty of compassion.

I voted yes because a no vote implies we shouldn't care. The success of the human race depends upon us having compassion for each other. Not legislated compassion, natural and innate compassion.Why not get into the health field, Koan, sounds like its a natural fit for you?!

koan · Post by **koan** » Wed Dec 09, 2009 10:38 am

Ahso!;1271325 wrote: Why not get into the health field, Koan, sounds like its a natural fit for you?!

Have you looked at the cost of education lately?

Ahso! · Post by **Ahso!** » Wed Dec 09, 2009 10:52 am

koan;1271328 wrote: Have you looked at the cost of education lately?Yes, I know. One of my daughters is in the process of nursing school paid for by the hospital she will be working at. She has to commit to x amount of paid employment with them and they pay for the education. The down side is if you fail or drop out, you could be on the line for the cost yourself, though we've been told of situations where the hospital permits those people to work off the cost as well.