farmdoc's blog post number 434

The World Health Organisation’s definition of Health is ‘a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity’. Somebody should tell the Tasmanian Health Minister Lara Giddings (pictured) that WHO’s definition delimits her job. Last week she declared that all elective surgery in Tasmania’s public hospitals must be for health gain. Fair enough. But then she said the Tasmanian government can no longer justify funding cosmetic surgery when the demand for its public hospital services is unprecedented. So in Tasmania’s public hospitals there’ll be no more breast implants and reductions, for example. Some people who have cosmetic surgery are psychologically well adjusted, so their surgery’s for vanity reasons only. But others have it to alleviate severe psychological (or psychiatric) problems caused by their preoperative cosmetic disability. I think the latter group’s surgery should be accommodated in public hospitals, because as per the WHO definition, psychological well-being’s every bit as valid and important as physical well-being. Ms Giddings manifestly disagrees. She said ‘if you don’t have an absolute need then don’t expect the public hospital system to provide you with cosmetic surgery’. Thus it’s her view that physical need is absolute but mental need isn’t. So they should call her the ‘Physical Health Minister’. Or else sack her for neglecting half her job.