[Sca-cooks] Kind of OT: Christmas food drives

[Terry Decker]

>In the old days, before the implementation of HMOs for those on
>assistance, it wasn't uncommon to sit in the ER for 8 hours or more with a
>sick kid on a weekend, because there was no alternative and the kid had
>nothing lifethreatening.
>
>-- Pani Jadwiga Zajaczkowa, Knowledge Pika jenne at fiedlerfamily.net

It is still not uncommon according to some nurses I talked with.  During the
Known World Costume Symposium, I had to take Margaret to the emergency room.
We got fairly fast service because it was potentially life-threatening, but
there was a steady stream of people with minor problems which could have
been better served for less at (available) out-patient clinics, but the
clinics cost money and the emergency room was required to serve the indigent
without fee.

Bear