Reply #212: Unfortunately, everyone is entitled to refuse medical assistance

[ddeclue]

clearly Ms. Richardson did NOT refuse assistance due to an inability to pay - like many people who fall down she thought she was OK. The problem is NOT "socialized" medicine but people's unwillingness to play it safe and get checked out.

The biggest problem is that we need to train a LOT of otherwise ordinary citizens to be citizen first responders in this country and be able to recognize symptoms requiring immediate medical attention so that even if someone thinks they don't need help from strangers, they will be more likely to listen to someone they know who tells them to seek treatment.

Everyone should get Red Cross training in First Aid, and CPR/AED. Just last year I performed CPR on someone who had a massive heart attack in an early steering committee meeting for Congressional candidate whom I supported. Because I was able to immediately begin CPR I was able to buy him the precious minutes he needed for Fire/Rescue EMT's to arrive on scene and begin more advanced life support and stabilization. They got him to the hospital and he survived and was conscious for a few hours a few days later but then suffered a second heart attack in the hospital from which he died.

I've had to do CPR twice in my life and have been on the scene of two auto accidents where I needed to use First Aid training. Every high school student and college student and member of the military and law enforcement should be required to have this training - everyone should have some training.

I'd like to go through the Advanced training that ARC offers (a 53 hour program that costs $300) but I'm either working and unable to go to classes during the weekday or I'm unemployed and can't afford it.

Doug D.
Orlando, FL