By Dr. William Hogg – dare I write it? – MD
Some 30 years ago, I received a letter from OHIP, Ontario’s Medicare bureaucracy, with the salutation, “Dear Health Care Worker.” It was sort of like a punch in the stomach. Euphemistic style.
To those useless ‘turds’ I was no longer a doctor. Like an inspissated fecolith I was lumped together, indeed very democratically, right along with everyone else on the front line of the governmental delivery system of ‘health’ care, nurses included. Nowadays, everyone is used to ‘health care workers.’ Only nurses and doctors still squirm a bit at the term. But just think how inefficient is Dear Health Care Worker. A Dear Nurse (or Dear Dr.) would save twice as much in ink alone – let alone money. But more about this historically critical type of word-suppression later. Now for a brief word about word-theft, name-theft.
During the 1950’s the male homosexual community took on for itself the fine old English word, ‘gay.’ I always thought it was a kind of sneak theft. What heterosexual now can ever honestly or dishonestly say, “I was at a gay affair last night?” Better to use a gala affair. Gay, a good word usurped, stolen from us all. But that’s okay, we’re all used to it now. Most hardly ever think of it. That is, until the proud gay community announced that gays and only gays could now refer to themselves as queers. Will ‘marriage’ go the same way as gay, queer? Enough of that!
So, there is theft of words and suppression of names…
In the last couple of years, somebody, (?), has been up to the latter in medicine. Not clear theft, but an underhanded suppression of names. Now it’s not the doctor at the front end of the system, it’s the word for the helpless recipient at the rear end. Patient. Patience. Yes, a government run CHC (community health centre) just a few months ago, through the silly mouth of a ‘captive’ young doctor, announced the very humanitarian doing away with all patients. Yes, the death of ‘patients.’ Proudly, it was said, the ‘patient’ is now a ‘client.’ And, it was claimed, clients will do better. Clients will do better than patients! Is that so? I know of no double-blind and controlled study on record that proves it. Now that’s a real shame and loss when you think of it. Clients will do. No more patients.
What is this? Some kind of conspiracy? The givers and the receivers – both, chopped off at both ends. No more doctors. No more nurses. No more patients. Is this a cure for the financial woes of Medicare? In new-speak? Shades of George Orwell! Who’s the villain? An accountant. Some hateful little hidden away bureaucrat? Some big businessman? No! If that were the case all patients would be consumers and become customers – for profit. Well, maybe … it could just be. No! It must be someone who hates doctors and nurses all. And patients too. Who on earth would do away with them all?
It must be the social workers – they need clients. They help clients. They call their helpees clients. No again. They are kind do-gooders, not takers away. Not usurpers nor suppressors. Who could it be?
Teachers? No, they still have students. Analysts? No, they have analysands. Reporters? No, they still have a few readers and many very passive and apathetic listeners. Hunters? No, they go after wild game. The police! No, they go after tame demonstrators. To turn them into prisoner-perps. Consultants? No, they go after public money. Oh, where and who could it be?
Eureka! Yes, it must be. Who is a thief and closest to the criminal mind, yet still calls them clients? Yeah aha, now I’ve finally got it – the lawyers. They often become businessmen, blind politicos and the limping legislators. They must be the real culprits. They want our patients as clients. Selfish? For what nefarious purpose? Litigation? Your guess is as good, probably better than mine. But it’s gotta do with money too. Now who are THEY in cahoots with? The P3-partners?
Am I paranoid or am I paranoid?
Gobble, gobble, gobble…
(Click on Niagara At Large at www.niagaraatlarge.com for more news and commentary of interest and concern to residents in our greater binational Niagara region.)
Niagara At Large 
Agreed: word/name theft exists and works!
One of the worst cases was the one that substituted ‘Health’ care for ‘Medical’ care, which is only ONE of many methods of healing.
Perhaps because of that name-theft, OHIP does NOT cover optometry, chiropractic, naturopathy, homeopathy, massage, reflexology, acupuncture, iridology, nutrition, vitamin and herbal supplements, etc. In fact, it’s often impossible to even claim these Health expenses on our income tax, if you choose to follow that branch of healing.
Brilliant tactic by the Medical school of Healing, eh?
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The paragraph on “theft of the word ‘gay’” comes too close for comfort to political incorrectness – so several friends have told me. But I beg to disagree. Everyday usage and diplomatic negotiations always call for, demand, political correctness, especially in Canada-the-gentle. Wry satire does not! It requires truth-in-jest, regardless of topic or recipient.
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Once again, my brother, Dr. William Hogg, titillates the reader’s conscience, imagination and intelligence. No longer can we innocently refer to ‘business partners’ as simply ‘partners’ without being looked at sideways. One definitely has to clarify the expression ‘happy and gay.’
As the seventy-five year old mother of seven children, innumerable family discussions have transpired regarding the topic, “what’s in a name or a word?” We lost a son to ‘depression’ several years ago. He was homosexual or ‘gay.’ His intelligence, talents, ‘joie de vivre’; his very presence in our lives, allowed our family to absorb compassion, respect and understanding first hand.
The following list is endless, but doctors , nurses, authors, technicians, teachers, lawyers, mechanics, garbage collectors, drivers of buses, subways, trains, cabs, pilots, chefs, storekeepers, nurses, personal support workers, mothers, fathers, volunteers, etc. should be addressed by the names they worked to earn, the names they personally wish to be called. We depend on so many ‘workers’ in every walk of life; people who keep our daily lives and routines functioning. Some wear many hats. Regardless of the language we speak or the country we live in, pride in name is a’given.’ Thanks for whetting my mental outlook and making me ‘think’ Dr. Hogg.
Love you, Bill
Maeve
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