Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Wis. Doc Notes on Investigation

An article in the opinion section of Texas Insider by George Scaggs bashed teachers and doctors with disgust, questioning their honorable profession. It is just one of many reactions against the protesters rallying against a Republican-backed state bill that would eliminate collective bargaining rights for most state workers and doctor’s handling notes in that Wisconsin protest, most of which angry and profane.

Dressed in lab coats, alleged doctors handed out doc notes to protesters. The scene is pretty much like there’s a scrubs sale, free mens scrubs, womens scrubs and lab coats, actually. Physicians stood on a street corner, offering excuse notes to absentees, thousands of teachers who skipped work days to join the protest. They carry placards saying “I’m a doctor. Need Note?” And they hand these medical notes to whoever asks without any questions. And just like when there are mens scrubs and women’s scrub being given out many take advantage, so as teachers on doc notes that could save them.

The motive of the alleged doctors seemed legitimate when Lou Sanne, 59, practicing family medicine at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, one of the doctors who handed doctor notes, told AP that "Some people think it's a nod-and-a-wink thing but it's not. One of the biggest stresses in life is the threat of loss of income, loss of job, loss of health insurance. People have actually been getting ill from this, or they can't sleep." Obviously, though, those teachers weren’t sick, but marching to the Wisconsin Capitol.

What seemed to be a genuine move of extending help has put these doctors in much criticism, and with their act put under investigation. Wisconsin officials are conducting investigation on the matter as well as organizations with physicians allegedly involved in the issue, like the UW.

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