After surgery " he could not afford to have the stitches removed"

[Liberal_in_LA]

more on remote area medical, a wonderful organization

Some people waited overnight two days in a row for a chance at an appointment.

Fabrizio Mangandi, 41, was one of the lucky ones who got a wristband. The Ralph's grocery clerk lifted his shirt to reveal stitches. He recently had his gall bladder removed. His said after his insurance charged him a $5,000 deductible he could not afford to have the stitches removed.

"I'm already in debt," he said. "This is disaster relief."

Jeff Washington, 39, of Los Angeles and wife Lakishi Washington, 33, brought their 5-month-old son Ausar to the arena at about 8 a.m. They were turned away shortly before 11 a.m. when it was clear there would not be enough wristbands to go around.

The family does not have health insurance and had not seen a dentist or optometrist recently. The Washingtons said that without the clinic, the scores of people waiting behind them would probably just go without care.

Some ahead of them in line said the felt both fortunate for themselves and bad for those left out.

Eugene Martensen, 34, a disabled cabinet maker from San Pedro, got a wristband after waiting overnight. He surveyed the line of people who came later and were being told there was no more room, including would-be patients with canes, walkers and wheelchairs.

"It hurts me to see an elderly person left out and I get in," he said.

Organizers more than doubled their capacity to treat patients this year, from about 19 medical stations to 40 stations, said Dr. Natalie Nevins, the clinic's medical director. But the extra room does little good without volunteer medical professionals to fill it.

"We need optometrists and ophthalmologists desperately," Nevins said.

Of eight women's health rooms available Wednesday, only three had doctors volunteering, Nevins said.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/04/free-medical-clinic-booked-solid-too-few-medical-volunteers-cause-delays-.html

[Oregone]

1. Same thing happened to me once...

I removed them myself. Its not that tough

[Quantess]

16. I've done it too!

After getting 12 stitches in my hand at the ER, the doctor gave me the surgical tools as a memento. So of course, I removed the stitches myself, a few weeks later. It beats making a second costly trip to the doctor!

[slackmaster]

2. Removing stitches is not difficult

[Liberal_in_LA]

4. The DU mods frown upon talk of self surgery... they might delete this

[slackmaster]

7. I don't believe removing stitches qualifies as surgery. I've done it on myself

And on cats.

I am not aware of any law prohibiting a non-licensed person from removing his or her own stitches.

Charging money to remove them from someone else would be a different matter.

[Liberal_in_LA]

8. I hear ya. From watching the doctor, it's cutting and pulling gently

[slackmaster]

10. Sanitation is very important

You don't want to drag bacteria into the hole.

[DemoTex]

9. Reminds me of a Mad Magazine riff in the late 50s ..

"Suture Self"

[Ratty]

14. Yeah, our neighbor was a nurse when I was growing up

Parents took me to see the doctor to get stitches put in but we always went to her to have them out. She took care of all the neighborhood kids like that (and it didn't even cost us a chicken!). Nowdays there'd be fears of lawsuits, malpractice and all that.

[Deep13]

3. And this is in America in the second decade of the 21st century.

:banghead:

Why should we have to pay for health care for others? Because we can.

[lib2DaBone]

5. And this is not Ethiopia or Haiti.... this is the USA...

.. where working poor can not afford even the basics of health care...

And reform doesn't kick in for.... 4 more years?

[Liberal_in_LA]

6. Yep, it's the USA. And guy in story has a job, still can't afford med care

These days people would consider a job at Ralph's to be a 'good job'. Guy still can't afford good medical care.

[Ikonoklast]

11. See? The Republicans are right.

Everyone gets to see a doctor.



Parts of this country are sliding into Third World status.

[mwooldri]

12. :(((((

:cry:

[Javaman]

13. I'm glad we had health care reform...

I'll just let that hang there.

[Rex]

15. In this country, your property is worth more than your life.

Kind of reversed/strange IMO - the insurance company can sell your belongings as salvage if you have a total loss, but if you die you are worthless to them (they might even have to pay money). I guess they figure someone else can come along at take your place (with a policy). Can't collect on a soul, that I know of.