HOW TO BLOW $57 BILLION - Tuesday 11th May 2010

Treasurer Wayne Swan bough down the Commonwealth Government's Budget this evening. $57 Billion has been allocated to the Department of Health. $57 Billion., it just rolls off the tongue as though it might have been $57 thousand, or $57 million. It's $57,000,000,000. When in the hell does it all go?

This is 16% of the Government's budget.

Some of the money will go to improve people's health, the great bulk of it will be poured down the medical black hole. People will not become fitter or healthier.

The Government says this is NEW. In reality it's Medicare 1975 version 35. Next year we'll go through the same old same old again, and spend $65B.

The great tragedy is that the health of Australians is declining in direct proportion to the increase in Government expenditure.

Until the Government stops protecting the bloated, inefficient and expensive general practice division of the medical industry to the degree it does, particularly at the local level, it's stuffed.

The big announcement of the evening is that the Government is going to give doctors in private practice $25,000 to employ more nurses. Would that they had decided to support more nurses setting up their own clinics as an alternative service to the one provided by doctors. As it stands the nurses will continue to act as doctors' lackeys and the doctors will pocket the change.

In this country doctors just love doing busy work, work that other professional groups like nurses, fitness practitioners, pharmacist, naturopaths and counsellors can do better.

People should only be going to doctors for things that require the kind of medical attention that only doctors can provide. Primary health care for the great bulk of metabolic, musculo-skeletal and psychological complaints doesn't need a doctor. on the contrary.

On the track
No track, presented 6, one hour seminars to staff at a corporate organisations. That's sufficient.

In the meantime stay tuned, highly tuned and remember, you can't solve a fitness problem with a medical solution.

John Miller
www.fitandhealthyonline.com