Homework 24- Book Response #3

Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, A Man Who Could Cure the World, By Tracy Kidder, Published by Random House Inc., 2003.
The book-
Précis:
I followed a man named Doctor Paul Farmer around in his practice. The center plateau of Haiti. More specifically Cange, Haiti. He built a clinic, a hospital, and created a healthcare system in a region that desperately needed one. I also studied his past. He grew up living an untypical life. He grew up living a portion of his life out of a bus, and another on a boat. From a young age he devoted himself to science. He completed his undergraduate studies at Duke. He went to Harvard Medical for his medical degree. While he was at Harvard, he also spent a good portion of his time working in Haiti. That’s when he decided to devote his life to Haiti. He started a charity called Partners In Health which he contributed most of his assets to, and used it to fund his health system in Haiti. He ended up without a lot of money, not spending much time with his family, and very happy with his life.
Insights from the book:
"Ludmilla and I, we belong to the nation of those who care for the sick. Americans are lazy democrats." Page 229.
Response: Of course doctor Farmer considers himself an American, but with this quote he is making a clear distinction between him, and the typical lazy American that cares more about themselves then anyone else.
"'If you say fuck you, man, I already built a thousand houses in this country, how many have you built? That doesn't go anywhere." Page 291
Response: A man that has done so much for so many people still doesn't always get the reconigtion he deserves.
"Only 20 percent of women in rural Haiti received any medical care. An estimated 5 percent had HIV." Page 259.
Response: Why is that the people who seem to need care the most, get the least of it?
Thoughts on the book:
There’s so much this book cover’s that makes me think about how messed up healthcare, in America, in Haiti, and just around the world can be. Almost all of the people in Haiti can’t afford to pay health expenses. Doctor Farmer realized that. He eliminated costs for his patients. A lot of people in America can’t pay for health expenses. They probably won’t get any help. Because there’s nowhere like Zamni Lasante for most Americans to go. But why? Capitalist agendas? Yes. Greed? Yes. Pride? Maybe. Americans are too proud and stubborn to switch to a socialist healthcare system because they were taught that socialism is bad. You know what’s bad? Ignorance is bad. Exposure is good. Because when you’re exposed to a variety of ideas that’s when you can see which idea or theory or system is the best. Right now there is a system right in front of us that works. That helps the people. But people won’t go for it. I’m glad that Doctor Farmer did for at least his small scale system of universal healthcare. I’m surprised that he isn’t banned from America with his poisonous communist ideas. But seriously, Doctor Farmer is a great guy, and I wish I could be more like him.