I imagine we have the same problem here, but since we don’t have a National Health Service, those starving kids don’t go to the hospital. Problem solved!
Spiralling numbers of admissions to hospitals in Leeds of patients with malnutrition have been branded “an absolute disgrace”.
But the figures – which have trebled in five years – could be the tip of the iceberg, a politician has warned.
People with malnutrition needed hospital care on 93 occasions last year, compared with 30 in 2008.
Coun Lisa Mulherin, executive board member for health and wellbeing on Leeds City Council, said: “The numbers being admitted to hospital are shocking and potentially the tip of the iceberg.
“It’s an absolute disgrace that in a wealthy, modern nation we are seeing anybody turning up in hospital in that condition, but the fact we are seeing three times as many now tells us something about the changes to the welfare system, wage stagnation and the way fuel prices have gone up out of all proportion with people’s pay.
“The pressures on ordinary working families in this city are enormous.”
Reasons for the increase include poverty, which can prevent people buying nutritious food, the growing number of older people – many of whom are living in ill-health, as well as greater recognition of the issue by health workers.
A year ago it was revealed that more than 27,000 people in Leeds were suffering from malnutrition, which occurs when the body does not get the nutrients it needs.
Coun Mulherin said they knew a lack of cash meant families in Leeds were being forced to choose between eating or heating their homes.
She said the council was committed to tackling malnutrition, including through its backing of the Leeds Food Consensus, a drive to combat the problem.
A city-wide campaign was launched earlier this year to let older people know the warning signs, frontline health workers have been trained to look out for the condition while they are working with food banks to enable people using them to find out where they can get other help.
The head of a team which works to prevent malnutrition in the city said she was not surprised by the figures – and agreed that financial pressures seemed to be worsening.
Here is another of Maggie’s dreams and another disgrace: endless war. Only it happens to be the dream of the Republican’s in the U.S. this time. The new Status of Forces Agreement with Afghanistan ‘requires’ the U.S. to keep 12 thousand combat forces in that country “until 2024 and beyond” at a cost of $50 bilion dollars per year. So instead of America’s longest and arguably its most costly war ending in 2014, it will go on for at least another 10 years. But let’s be clear about this. It’s the Congress who must approve of this agreement. Not Obama. It’s the Congress who must continue to fund this war. Not Obama. This war will continue and we will spend another $500 billion dollars over the next 10 years not on the poor in America, but on an endless war in Afghanistan. Why? Because Saudi Arabia (Sunni’s) and Isreal (Zionists) want U.S. combat troops to keep the pressure on Iran’s eastern border. And because Big Oil wants U.S. troops to protect its assets in Afghanistan. “Problem solved.”
Twelve thousand “military advisors” to be kidnapped, killed or wounded. What could possibly go wrong?
But the story is about malnutrition in Leeds. One benefit of national health care is that it generates epidemiological studies. The US doesn’t have this problem? Bullshit. The US doesn’t collect this data and the private health care system sits above it.
How big a dent in malnutrition would $500 billion dollars make? The priorities in this country are all screwed up. At least for the 99%. The 1% gets to use our military forces exactly the way it wants them used. To protect their corporate profits. Which is why the stock market keeps rising and hunger amongst the rich keeps falling.
You’re being facetious, but it wasn’t that long ago a member of the House of Commons said Britain would be better served if handicapped kids were “put down.” He was hounded out of office by the national public outcry, but was promptly re-elected to the position to continue his calls for reducing the surplus population.