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NEWS:
Judy Siegel-Itzkovich
Doctors' strike in Israel may be good for health
BMJ 2000; 320: 1561 [Full text]
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Rapid Responses published:

[Read Rapid Response] Striking doctors reduces death rates.
Roy M Ostenson   (14 June 2000)
[Read Rapid Response] What else is new?
John A Kraft   (14 June 2000)
[Read Rapid Response] Striking M.D.s Killing Morticians
Steve Wilson   (6 July 2000)
[Read Rapid Response] Doctor strikes, lowered mortality--Happens every time
James Braly   (5 March 2001)
[Read Rapid Response] Medical Harm
Rex H Warren   (24 March 2002)

Striking doctors reduces death rates. 14 June 2000
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Roy M Ostenson
Appleton Chiropractic

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Re: Striking doctors reduces death rates.

I believe it was in Los Angeles County in the early 70's that the same thing happened when doctors went on strike. The death rate dropped measurably then, too.

What else is new? 14 June 2000
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John A Kraft

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Re: What else is new?

I have heard of this before. After one physician strike resulted in a lower death rate, the morticians negotiated a settlement since their income suffered.

Striking M.D.s Killing Morticians 6 July 2000
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Steve Wilson
San Diego

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Re: Striking M.D.s Killing Morticians

Fortunately for morticians the medical doctors do not strike too long. During these short periods of protest the business of morticians is devistated.

Doctor strikes, lowered mortality--Happens every time 5 March 2001
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James Braly
Las Vegas, Nevada

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Re: Doctor strikes, lowered mortality--Happens every time

The 1960's saw physicians in Canada go on strike and the mortality rate dropped.

Los Angeles physicians associated with a USC hospital went on strike in the 1970's and the mortality rate dropped.

Physicians went on strike in South America (Columbia?) later that same decade and the mortality rate dropped.

Physicians have now gone on strike on 3 different occasions in Israel --in the 1950's, again in the 1970's or 80's and now in the the year 2000. In all 3 occasions the mortality rate has dropped, on one or two occasions by 50%.

Conclusion? I'm sorry to say, but conventional, allopathic, (drug and surgery happy) physicians remain very, very dangerous to our health (recall the May, 1998 JAMA article reviewing deaths caused by Rx medications given to American hospitalized patients? 106,000 deaths caused by Rx drugs each year on average, making Rx drugs in American hospitals the 5th or 6th leading cause of death! We badly need science-based alternative medicine, don't we.

Medical Harm 24 March 2002
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Rex H Warren,
President Australian Chemical Trauma Alliance
19 Pike Crescent Gladstone Qld 4680 Australia

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Re: Medical Harm

It doesn't surprise me death rates drop when doctors strike. Adverse reactions to drugs plays a huge role, especially in countries where Chemical Sensitivity is not well recognized.

More attention might be given to the unhealthy protectionist relationship between doctors and drug companies which supply their "tools of trade" and the further extension of this relationship between drug companies and the actual owners of patient rights to many drugs which are the Agvet pesticide manufacturers, and the impact of their toxic products on human health.

The "relationship" is decidedly "unhealthy."

Rex Warren President Australian Chemical Trauma Alliance