Visiting the magnificent Angkor Wat temple in Cambodia, my elderly dad resolutely navigated the steep stairs as I held my breath. My mother, less mobile and more wary, stayed at ground level but the 12th-century ground wasn’t exactly smooth. All I could think was “falls risk”, which casually led me to ask our guide what the local hospital system was like. This invited a lament about the long waits, the cost of care and poor outcomes.

Someone else explained that in South Korea, her wealthy country with universal healthcare, paramedics must call dozens of hospitals to seek permission to off-load patients. A woman hit by a truck died after the ambulance could not find any of 30 hospitals to accept her.

As we spoke, UK doctors were going on a six-day strike for the 15th time in three years to protest about their conditions. Patients were urged to “come forward as normal” and doctors promised to keep them safe, but it wasn’t clear how when tens of thousands of them were away.

Medicine has become more transactional for everyone, not just patients

Across the Atlantic, where Americans are used to geography determining healthcare outcomes, 47% say they can’t afford the cost of care and graded their country’s healthcare system as a C.

Shaking his head, my dad remarked this is why he felt safe at home where healthcare was universal, reliable and safe. Naturally, I felt a rush of pride but even one-eyed fans of Australian healthcare should sometimes open both eyes to see more clearly. I’m afraid things are........

© The Guardian