July 22, 2008

Dear Doctors, I am sorry!!


Obviously, everyone I know, including myself is infuriated about the new traffic laws that seem to be more about getting money out of people rather than organizing traffic. Yes, I said it! It’s not about traffic or about making life better for the people, who are we kidding?!

If it had been for the people, isn’t there enough tax money collected (from those who are employed and cannot really find ways to hide money from tax authorities) that’s enough to make better roads and build better bridges instead of having to wait ages on some bridge because they shut a lane for maintenance!! And don’t get me started on the scumbags of traffic officers who would halt The 6th of October Bridge on a rush-hour for a lagna setting, and not to mention permanent lagna settings at places like Mounib Bridge right before Maadi exit!!

What I do not get however is why the government, the system or whoever it is in charge is so focused on getting that money out of the people that way!! I mean don’t you think traffic control authorities collect enough money through license registrations and the amount of money you throw here and there for a new car, not to mention the trouble you would go through if you have an older car, or God forbid a really older car!! And at the end of the day, we all know that once you know the right number to call, you’ll get all your tickets and violations waived!! So is it just to harass people who are wasta-less? As if raising the prices of gas was not enough!!

So to all the decision makers out there, let me point out a new source of money that I simply can’t believe you overlooked!! DOCTORS!!

It has been brought to my attention, through medical insurance proceedings that doctors, surgeons that is, do not pay taxes in any way remotely appropriate to how much they earn (sorry guys)!! It made me remember that all through my medical history (two c-sections, one ERCP, one cholecystectomy) I did not attain one single receipt from either the surgeons or the anesthesiologists! The hospital fees were paid with a receipt in return (including an additional tax other than the service and sales taxes, I guess there is a getting-sick tax); nonetheless, none of the four times had any of the doctors who took the money by hand gave in a receipt.

Back then it didn’t even come to mind since I did not have any medical insurance; however, today as I was working on my boss’s hospital receipts to be sent and redeemed from the medical insurance company he told me that he did not have a receipt from the surgeon, who by the way took 12 K! I was startled because my boss did not even have to pay the hospital; he’s a BUPA client, and the hospital his wife had the surgery in is a network member; hence, all his bills should be automatically taken care of the moment he had shown her membership ID!! Talk about Egyptian incompetence and lack of professionalism when handling international clients (by client I mean the company, not my boss and his spouse). It only took me one short phone call to London on the day of the surgery to know all the proper procedures in which the hospital refused to abide by out of being… umm, no proper word now!

So dear stupid incompetent decision makers of this country, I found a goldmine for you to ekhrebooha we to3odo 3ala tallaha!! Of course, there is always the option of using the money to make a better medical system, but who am I kidding!


And dear Mr. Tarek Nour, I found a new segment for your tax payment advertising campaign this Ramadan; you could even use the whole “afawtarak walla azzabatak” slogan plus the 3emma theme with some not so creative amendments, heck, you can even use the same dude!

Damn, I should give up on my career in administration and do some marketing/advertising; I’m good!!

P.S. Normally, I would claim all relevant copy rights to the whole idea of going after doctors, but I’m afraid I won’t find proper treatment when I get sick if I do!! However, I do not recommend that anyone would take false credit for this idea, no benefit, trust me!!

6 comments:

Gihan said...

Let me say that I agree with what you are suggesting. But still, I think it could not imagine how would it be applied. I mean there are many doctors out there who are working their heads off with no proper payment in return.
And if taxes were applied on surgeries, I think that would make them even more expensive and the patient would be paying for it at the end.

Maybe I don't got it wrong because I am not fully aware of how the taxation system works. Bass tab3an nerga3 le margo3na, kollena met3assabeen men qanoon el moror el gedeed 3ashan kollena 3arfeen elly feeha.
They should have been more creative than this!

insomniac said...

ur definitely right about the people being screwed in all scenarios!!

i just don't get at all how such huge payments can be paid without any form of acknowledgement!!

and please don't wish for more creativeness from 7okoomatena al maymouna, maheyash na2sa!

Unknown said...

el mohm en menu el 5amsa lessa b 5amsa

P.S 7assbeya Allah w n3m al wakeel

insomniac said...

funny thing! i stopped at Mc's drive through and i was thinking the same, bas mala2etsh menu el 5!!! el denya mesh lessa be kheir!

Shimaa Gamal said...

hmmm, too many thoughts :)
First of all, great post Inso :)
Actually mesh 3arfa abtedy mnien wala mnien ...
Let's start with the new traffic law, I am a person who doesn't drive because I am too scared to get into the jungle. I have a license and a brand new car (hatbooz we heya lessa zero)and I can't drive 3ashan el nas betnot odam el cars, wel 3arbeyat betksar 3ala ba3d not to mention el wo7oosh elly esmaha na2l we ma2toora. I have always called for a new traffic law, 7aga te7my elly mashy 3ala regloh welly saye2 3arabeetoh. el so2al ya tara el new law hay3mel keda? I can give you the answer mn delwa2ty. NO. lieh? 3ashan e7na fi balad el gnieh fiha 3'alab el Carnet, ya3ny el 7okoma shadedet el 3okooba beyzeyadet el 3'arama which means en el etawa or el rashwa hatzeed bas 7al el share3 mesh hayt3del. bas lw fardna 7osn el neya yefdal so2al mohem, lieh el first aid bag? I mean it might be important bas lw you know 1st aid, laken lw mesh bet3raf? even those who know 1st aid 3arfeen en awl 7aga te3melha is to call an ambulance and never ever to move el shakhs el mosab. so 7ad ye2oly now la kadar allah lama te7sal 7adtha, netala3 el shanta ba2a we ne3del kosoor we ne7arak nas momken yekoon 3andhom kosoor khateera aw nazeef dakhely? wala ya tara hay3melo egbary ma3 emte7an el sewa2a emte7an 1st aid? keda hanrga3 tany le no2tet en el rashwa hatzeed, tab3an 3'ier sabobet el bads di, elly hatb2a geha wa7da elly 3andaha el bags di (remember sabobet el 7ezam?)
ana mesh ded el 7okooma, ana bas mesh ba2dar afham nazereteha el thakeba fi el nazar lel ashya2.

Ah sa7ee7 as for the doctors, I knew one makanetsh el darayeb te3raf 3anoh 7aga le7ad lama akheeran kararo yedakhlo el 3'ier mosagaleen el segn. we tab3an zay kol el nas el fahma, el 7agat elly hayt3melaha reporting lel tax authorities hatkoon 3'ier el 7a2ee2a, bas sada2eeny el gaby el masry is working on it. soon hatfra7y fihom kolohom. el 7okooma el rasheeda mesh hatseeb maleem a7amar fi 2eed 7ad, asl ezaher e7na dakhleen 3ala el 7 el 3egaf bas ma7desh gab seera 3an 7elm fer3on :)

kefaya 3aliko ra3'y ba2a

insomniac said...

aiwa ya benty!!

lessa ennaharda my best friend and i were saying en with some cases, a life-saving decision is to let the injured be and wait for professional help!! we en el talabat elly fe shantet el first-aid el fattaka de estehbal aslan and not even life saving!!!! we kaman ya3ne ma3lesh, shantet eh de elly mesh betssarab torab, e7na hanestahbel 3ala ba3d, da el alumital eelly be rubber lining beysarrab torab!!! de masr ya 3abla

3ala fekra mawdoo3 emte7an el sewa2a el mota3aded el qudrat da wared!!

nawarty :)