Who needs medical tourism?

[YCCMB]

So, last Thursday, I started lessons with a father and son from Kazakhstan. The mother already speaks excellent English, they've been here a while, two young sons in UK schools, blah, blah.

The mother asked me where they could find a private doctor. Note, private. I said I didn't know, but directed them to a private hospital round the corner to ask.

This morning, I asked how they got on, and whether the husband was better. They didn't go. Instead, they Skyped a doctor friend in Kazakhstan for a diagnosis and got the medication sent from Moscow. So there you go.

Things have certainly changed, as, only a few years ago, many of my students confessed to flying home to see their GP. Obviously, Skype is saving a lot of them the trouble.[:D]

[nomoss]

[quote user="You can call me Betty"] Who needs medical tourism?
[/quote]

 

Certainly not your obviously wealthy students[:D]

 

 

[YCCMB]

No, true. Not even my students who are au pairs or carers, or hotel housekeeping staff. They'd sooner fly home.[:P]

[nomoss]

[quote user="You can call me Betty"]No, true. Not even my students who are au pairs or carers, or hotel housekeeping staff. They'd sooner fly home.[:P]
[/quote]

I don't understand what "No, true" means - maybe a typing error?

Are you saying they fly back to Kazakhstan or wherever, rather than use the NHS?

If so, I don't believe it, and I'm surprised if you do.

 

 

[YCCMB]

You said "Certainly not your obviously wealthy students?" and I responded "No, true". Not sure what's confusing you.

I have met many people over the years who have flown back home to see their own doctor speaking their own language in their own country. Plenty of Brits seem to do it, so I can't understand why you express surprise that other nationalities do it too. Contrary to popular belief, for everyone using the NHS when they aren't entitled to do so. there's probably someone else NOT using the NHS who legitimately could.

Please feel free not to believe it. I am sure that all the students I've had who have told me this, including an American student of seven years' standing who is a regular churchgoer and a director of a multinational company, are all inveterate liars and that your take on the situation is the One True Way.

By the way, the American student has full British nationality and is as entitled to use the NHS as I am, but chooses to have regular annual medical and dental checks in the USA.

[Chancer]

Thats one advantage of the French language, you can use si-si (or is it ci-ci?) to refute a negative interrogative.

Probably used all the wrong grammar terms there, anyway it took me a long time to understand it in fact some kind person explained it to me as I had confused them by saying "yes I can" or maybe "yes you can" to a negative and they thought I was agreeing with them.

[nomoss]

[:D]

 

 

[Rabbie]

[quote user="Chancer"]

Thats one advantage of the French language, you can use si-si (or is it ci-ci?) to refute a negative interrogative.

Probably used all the wrong grammar terms there, anyway it took me a long time to understand it in fact some kind person explained it to me as I had confused them by saying "yes I can" or maybe "yes you can" to a negative and they thought I was agreeing with them.

[/quote]

Not just French. Swedish also has two words for "Yes". "Ja"  for "Oui" and "Jo" for "Si". Like chancer I found it took a long time to learn when to use the correct one. Sometimes English has its limitations