I wish I had someone in particular to bitch at, I really do, but my monster is the faceless medical establishment. Currently, I’m in the position of waiting a week or more for them to fax (that’s right, fax) my immunization records to my doctor and watch as the spaces in the program I needed them for in the first place fill up before my eyes. It’s either that or start experimentally infecting myself with mumps and Hepatitis B, and frankly? I’m starting to lean towards the dirty syringes. May the medical bureaucracy be crushed by it’s own weight.
This article appears in Sep 4-10, 2008.
In cases like this it would be good to have a centralized database where all hospitals and clinics could deposit and share your health history. Of course, it would have to be set up to ensure your privacy, but it could make life easier for some, and potentially save lives in an emergency.