Leonard Peltier - Latest news

I wrote a blog on January 29, 2009 about Leonard Peltier. Here is a message from Leonard which I am copying from Máirtín Ó Muilleoir's "From the Balcony - A Publishers Blog"

Charter Medical Group - A Health Warning

I am a very infrequent visitor to Doctor's surgeries and can probably count on the fingers of one hand the number of times I've been in the last 10 years. So as the deafness in my left ear got worse and the 3rd trip to the Chemists brought no improvement I decided to look for a Medical Practitioner in my area. A neighbour told me that there was a new walk-in Medical Centre in Smithfield so I decided to go there. It's a posh new building in Smithfield Square and the friendly security lady on the ground level directed me to the Charter Medical Group on the 1st floor. There, the Receptionist told me I could see a Doctor, but they were busy and I would have to wait possibly up to an hour, or maybe longer. "Well OK then, I suppose I have to wait, How much is it to see a Doctor?" "Do you have medical insurance?" "No". "Well, it's €105 (One hundred and five Euro)".

I had been warned to expect to be charged fifty or sixty Euro - but €105 (one hundred and five)? They should publish a health warning on front of the fancy brochure extolling the virtues of Charter Medical Group!
Let's see - 4 patients per hour = €420. Let's say 6 hours per day. = €2,520. Let's say 5 days per week. = €12,600. Let's say Mr G.P. works 40 weeks per year (and takes a well earned break for the other three months). = €504,000. That's Half a Million to you and me! Nice money if you can get in these times of recession.

I said "no, thank you" and left.
Within 15 minutes I found another walk-in Medical Centre which charged €55. Moral of the story - SHOP AROUND ( or don't get sick too often).