Dear Editor,
In this opinion letter I would like to touch on the "care" part of medical health care. We can divide medical health care in two categories: cure and care. The cure part is when you need treatment and/or medicine to get better. The care part is when there is no outlook for cure, but that persons still need treatment and/or medicine to prevent from their situation worsening or to simply increase their quality of life by creating an environment or using tools that eliminates the impact of their physical incapability or illness as much as possible.
The "care" in our medical health care is covered by the AVBZ. The AVBZ is regulated via several National Ordinances and the AVBZ fund is being managed by the SZV as well as the execution of several AVBZ related activities. The AVBZ is covering the medical care that regular insurance companies don't cover. I have an opinion about our health care system and the execution thereof when it comes to cure (not so much on the coverage, but on the system). I will elaborate on that in another opinion letter.
During this election time I hardly heard anything about the care of our elderly, the financing of our mental health institutions and additional legislation needed in that sector, accessibility to buildings and other infrastructure for our disabled persons, education and care for our disabled children or mentally challenged children, etc. Do the parties and candidates realize how many lives are touched daily by this topic? Parents suffering from Alzheimer's, the inaccessibility of buildings and roads for our disabled (no elevators in buildings for people that are less mobile on foot, no ramps for wheelchairs, no proper sidewalks accessible for wheelchairs or our visual handicapped, family members or neighbors suffering from mental illness (or as we saw in recent incidents: any member of society). I can go on and on.
I would like to hear from candidates how they are planning to address the legislation and financing surrounding the AVBZ and what they are planning to do with our current infrastructure (they can surely start with making our government offices more accessible). I will not even begin with a list where there is room for improvement. I would like the parties and candidates to get away from the rhetoric and hollow phrases. Tell me what you are going to do in this area that touches so many of us. I told you. The candidates need to work hard to get my vote and I want them to work even harder when they are getting "in there".
Andrew Smith
