It’s Blog Action Day today, and the topic we’re putting the spot light on is poverty.
I will talk about poverty from a different point of view, maybe, than what was intended by the good people who took the time to make this day happen.
I was thinking about the best way for me to talk about poverty, as I am ashamed to say- I don’t know enough about the subject.
Then I thought about Chinese Medicine, which in China was for years the only medicine around, and was the medicine for the people.
So let’s talk about that a bit, but before I start rambling about that, I want to send you to a good informative website about poverty- Learn About Poverty.

Medicine in general
I find it amazing that there are people in this world who don’t get the health care they need because they don’t have enough money.
It can be a very basic treatment they need and can’t afford, and it can be a constant care they need, for a chronic condition, which can add up to thousands of dollars a month.
Either way, they can’t afford it.

How many times do we hear about people who don’t get the treatment they need in hospitals because their health insurance doesn’t cover the medications or the procedures they need?
In Israel, we have HMO, but I suspect that due to the regular payments you need to pay each month, those who are poor can’t even afford that basic health care.

Chinese Medicine
For years, Chinese Medicine was the kind of medicine everyone could afford. At least that was the case in China.
The old saying goes- if you’re sick- you shouldn’t pay your practitioner, because he did not do his job very well. Interesting concept, isn’t it?

I think that it is still the people’s medicine in China, but I suspect that in the west things are quite different.
When people who need the help of Chinese Medicine and don’t turn to it because they are short on funds, they put their health on hold. One simply can not afford to go to acupuncture sessions when one needs to figure out how to buy cloths, pay the bills and have something to eat- all in the same month. So the shoulder that has been bothering for the past 3 months will simply have to wait.

Doing things different
Money should not be the reason why people don’t get the health care they need.
Whether it’s Chinese Medicine or Western Medicine, people should have a basic right to get what they need.
Is it possible that some people can not afford Advil?
Is it possible that some people can not afford acupuncture sessions?

I started to think about myself and the practitioners around me, and tried to see how we can try and make a difference:

Trying to make a difference #1
I know one practitioner in Tel Aviv who started a clinic.
His clinic is different. He charges his patients by their ability to pay him.
He saw this in China, and used the model he saw there and applied it in Israel.

Trying to make a difference #2
When I had my clinic, I charged people a certain price.
There were a number of patients who told me that they simply can not afford the treatments, so we agreed on a different price.

Trying to make a difference #3
One of the schools in Tel Aviv opened a clinic for immigrants.
They would charge them very low fees for treatments.

Trying to make a difference #4
My mentor charges a some what high fee.
A friend of mine, who was his patient in the past, hit rock bottom and can hardly afford the apartment she’s living with her family. She needed to go back to treatment very badly.
I talked to my mentor and the minute he heard that she needs his help he told me “tell her to call me”. I told him about the lack of funds and he said “tell her not to worry about it. I will not miss it. If I can help her- tell her to set up an appointment”.
That was about a year ago, and she still sees him, and doesn’t pay, simply because she can’t.

We need more
Practitioners in Israel need to do more.
Practitioners around the world need to do more, and I’m sure there are plenty out there who are doing so much- like the wonderful people in Acupuncturists Without Borders.

Over to you
Please let me know what you’re doing to help out- I would love to know about it!