Desaparecen Hospitales en EE.UU.: Una Crisis Silenciosa | NTD NOTICIAS

Closed hospitals, ambulances in bankruptcy, we are on the brink of a medical disaster? We explore the shocking hospital crisis with the director of the documentary of Flatline, America's Hospital Crisis. Mayors of large cities plan to ban meat as a strategy against the climate crisis. Filtered documents indicate a secret agenda that challenges individual elections and encourages suspicions of political manipulation. Welcome to NTD News, with you, Maria Laura Claveri. For Veterans Day, the Biden administration announced measures to improve the attention of ex-combatants. We also spoke with a psychologist about the mental health and suicide problems they face. The Biden administration announced last Friday three measures to improve the lives of American veterans. A day before the celebrations, in the first place, it will expand free health care to all veterans of the Second World War. Veterans who meet the requirements will be able to request those benefits from this month. This includes care in nursing homes. Some veterans who suffer from Parkinson's disease will also be eligible for free medical care. And as a third measure, the administration launched the Veteran Scam and Fraud Evasion, so that military personnel and their families do not suffer more thefts by scams, whose losses amount to almost $500 million. The government will now educate on fraud. It will publish a kit of fraud prevention tools. It will prevent scammers from calling veterans and much more. President Biden made the announcement before his visit to Arlington National Cemetery on Veterans Day. The announcement last Friday from the White House also referred to the acute suicide problem among veterans. A national survey revealed that half of veterans with mental health problems do not seek treatment. Clinical psychologist Craig Bryan says, if you want to thank a veteran this year, don't stop visiting him. Invite him to a social gathering or just ask him how he's doing. All of these things increase your sense of connection. And it has also been shown to increase positive mood and psychological well-being. And when you start a conversation, it's essential to fully engage in it. We often find that veterans don't necessarily say out loud that they're thinking about suicide. They may have this other type of coded affirmation that would indicate that things are not really going well. He added that veterans, and anyone who has problems, can also improve by taking small steps such as eating healthy and exercising regularly. We spoke with the director of a documentary about the alarming hospital crisis in the United States and its profound impact on medical care. Let's see. We are with Steve Gruber, director and presenter of the new documentary The Epoch Times Flatline, America's Hospital Crisis. Steve, this is a very interesting topic. I don't think it gets enough coverage. Let me ask you, what is this hospital crisis that the United States is facing? You're right. We don't talk enough about it because most people are not aware of what's going on. But let me give you some data. In the last 15 or 20 years, about 200 American hospitals have closed their doors permanently, many of them in rural areas. At present, according to the National Rural Healthcare Association, more than 600 hospitals have financial problems. Of these, about 200 have serious problems and could even close today. People usually don't worry about hospitals. What I mean is that you only think about them when you need them. So only those who work there are aware of what's going on. The reality is that hospitals are suffering for several reasons. In the documentary, we travel to Masillon, Ohio, a city of about 300,000 inhabitants, which lost two hospitals in 10 years. And now it has none. We went to Kenneth, Missouri, a city that has between 10,000 and 11,000 inhabitants. Its hospital closed five years ago. Then we visited Ducktown, Tennessee, a very small town that had a regional hospital to attend to several counties, but it also closed. This means that people lost access to medical care and jobs as well, which directly affects the local economy. The saddest thing is that this is happening all over the country. In addition, we discovered that ambulance services are also breaking down. Only last year, in the state of New York, a dozen ambulance services broke down. These problems happen without people realizing it until it directly affects them, their community and their country. Now, Steve. Personally, I don't use the word crisis lightly. So when you put this word in the title of your documentary, you're not being sensationalistic, are you? Is this how you would really describe the situation? Imagine if this happened to you or any of your loved ones. Suppose you're having a heart attack or you have a car accident. Suddenly, the hospital that was there all your life closes its doors. The nearest emergency room is not just five minutes away, but 45 minutes away. Don't you think it's a crisis right now? During the documentary, we talked to a woman in Kenneth, Missouri. Her husband suffered a heart attack a year before the local hospital closed. They took him to the local hospital and he spent a couple of days there. He was fine. However, a year after the hospital closed, he had a similar heart attack. Tragically, he died in the ambulance on his way to the next hospital, which was almost an hour away. This story illustrates how these situations can become a personal crisis, directly affecting people and their loved ones in critical moments. Another aspect that is often overlooked is the diagnosis. They play a crucial role in the financial sustainability of hospitals, whether through mammograms or colonoscopies. These tests are vital to the life of hospitals. They are the financial support of hospitals. Before, people used to go to their local hospital just five minutes away to take these tests. But suddenly, the hospital is 45 minutes or an hour away. And people think, I don't want to take a day off from work. I don't want to spend all that time, noon, driving there and waiting in the waiting room. As a result, these diagnoses are not being carried out. This means that diseases such as diabetes, cancer, heart disease and other health problems are becoming unnoticed. And what is the result of this situation? It causes the loss of human lives. Whether it is a acute problem, such as a heart attack, or a chronic problem requiring follow-up, such as cancer detection or other chronic diseases, these medical procedures are not being carried out. This problem is increasing due to the closure of hospitals throughout the United States. In my opinion, crisis is the best word to describe this situation. Steve, how did we get to this point? To be fair, there are several factors at play here. In the 80s and 90s, for example, one of the key factors was reimbursement. The Medicare and Medicaid services centers, which are the government entities responsible for reimbursing hospitals when people come in with Medicare, Medicaid or Social Security, used to have reasonable reimbursement rates, and the process of obtaining government money used to be fast, usually in less than 30 days. However, today, any hospital in the United States, regardless of its size, dedicates a full department to obtaining the money that is owed by the government. This is a problem. In addition, reimbursement rates have been decreasing constantly over time. For example, in Ducktown, Tennessee, the mayor told us that the reimbursement rate for the attention of a person in need who arrives at the emergency room was only $15. He said that this only covered the expenses of just 15 minutes for a nurse. This is an obvious problem. In addition, we have large medical care corporations that acquire hospital groups and decide which remain open and which close. Then, of course, insurance companies and other factors come into play. There is not just one culprit here. There are several responsible factors. But in the end, what happens is that people lose access to medical care. Communities lose their medical services, jobs and also part of their identity because the hospital is usually a place where babies are born and where people go when they are injured, need suture points or any other type of care. It is also the place where older people will die with dignity in their community. This identity fades away. Steve, let me ask you some questions about the documentary itself. When you were producing this documentary, what was it that you discovered that impacted you or surprised you the most? One of the most surprising things we discovered was the disappearance of ambulance services. In most states, to be certified as an ambulance service, it is necessary to have technicians in medical emergencies available 24 hours a day. However, in the United States, there is a shortage of technicians in medical emergencies, which constitutes another crisis. This means that there are not enough people available to go to the ambulance to help in emergency situations, like a heart attack. As a result, many of these ambulance services closed. In addition, these ambulance services are not receiving the government's reimbursement in the same way as hospitals. This lack of funding is endangering their existence. For example, in New York, as I mentioned earlier, a dozen ambulance services closed last year. Even here, in my area, an ambulance service closed at the end of last year. This situation represents a serious problem for emergency medical care in the country. Another company took charge of the region, but they eliminated any guide or specification regarding what that implied. Let's give a practical example. Suppose you are experiencing a heart attack 20 minutes south of where I am sitting, half an hour away from the hospital. You can call an ambulance, but it can take between 20 and 30 minutes to get there. Do you have that time when it comes to a heart attack or a car accident? The answer is a resounding no. That time is critical in emergency situations. Although they technically covered the region, in practice, this situation is dangerous. We are in a situation where both ambulance services and hospitals are being stretched to the maximum. What struck me the most was the number of ambulance services that disappeared due to inefficient government policy decisions. And one last question for you, Steve. After the viewers watch this film, what would you say is the most important lesson they will take home? Consciousness. People need to know that this is happening. So, the most important thing I want is that people investigate the hospitals in their area. Are they in good condition? Can they survive? Will they be here in a year or ten years? Consciousness is fundamental. Steve Gruber, Flatline conductor, hospital crisis in the United States. Thank you. Mark Fisher, co-founder of a section of Black Lives Matter in Rhode Island, calls for former President Donald Trump to return to the Oval Office in 2024. He insists that he is far from being the only one in the Black Lives Matter movement who feels this way. In a recent interview with podcast presenter Kim Iverson, Mr. Fisher was asked to defend his previous comments that President Trump was the best candidate we have, he said. Mr. Fisher, neither short nor lazy, responded figuratively that he supports Mr. Trump because everyone else stinks. Then he eloquished the direct approach of the former president and contrasted it with what he perceives as the hypocrisy of the Democratic Party. Mrs. Iverson tried to clarify Mr. Fisher's answer. Then she asked him if he thought that President Trump was simply the best of a lot that has gone wrong, and frankly it is not so good either. Mr. Fisher responded by highlighting the respect he feels for President Trump and added that it is difficult not to appreciate what the 45th president brings to the table given the deficiencies of the headline. He said the following. I like Trump. I think that at this moment the one we have sitting in the Oval Office is a profound disappointment. After leaving a patent, his contempt for President Joe Biden pointed out that he did not really like Vice President Kamala Harris either. Mrs. Iverson suggested that her interview should be one of the few who thinks so in the Black Lives Matter movement, but Mr. Fisher turned around and said. No, I feel that the tide is starting to change. A lot of black people are starting to get out of that Democratic plantation. For a long time we have been slaves to that. The concept of the Democratic plantation was deeply analyzed in one of the best-selling books of the New York Times, one of the so-called bestsellers. Candace Owens, the political activist and personality of social networks, titled her work Blackout. How black America can escape for the second time from the Democratic plantation. In her book, Mrs. Owens argues that Democratic policies do not help the black community of the United States. Instead, they perpetually keep people of color dependent on government taxes, making them believe that they are victims and turning them into incults. Mr. Fisher pointed out the following. He said, His policies are basically racist policies. They attack the heart of the black family and the traditional family in general. I think Donald Trump is the opposite. He's going to tell you how things are. He's going to tell you directly. He's not going to be a hypocrite and he's not going to stab you in the back like he loves to do to the Democratic Party. Mr. Fisher resigned from his position in Black Lives Matter Rhode Island. Now he is the founder and executive director of Black Lives Matter Incorporation in Maryland, a non-profit organization that provides education to promote entrepreneurship and financial freedom for African Americans and their communities. In a recent interview with The Epoch Times, Mr. Fisher expressed his support for the people who participated in the eruption of Capitol Hill on January 6, and who have received forceful sentences. He also blamed the major media outlets in the United States for sowing the hatred and disdain that divides the country. He said about the prisoners of January 6, that they are like lambs that are being taken to the slaughterhouse to be sacrificed. They want to educate, for example, he said, so that all those who think of disobeying one day think twice. This is what the government does to those who express some independent thought and who want to defend what they believe, he concluded. Regarding the major media, he said they follow their own plans to stop the unity of society. He added the following, they are the same media that caused the division between all these marginalized groups from the beginning to keep us faced. As during his interview with Mrs. Iverson, he also insisted that he is not the only one in the black community who supports President Trump. And he added that there are many who keep their political opinions secret because they are afraid of being ridiculed. And he indicated the following, they will not say it in public out of fear of the reactions of the community because they have their reputations, their businesses and their relationships that they do not want to put in danger. But they will speak with their vote. At the moment, President Trump has just expanded his advantage over President Biden according to a new CNN poll. Support for the former president is at 49% compared to 45% of the White House headline. When the same poll was carried out in late August, President Trump only had an advantage in a percentage point to President Biden, who was 46. In addition to the polls, there have been other signs that the former president enjoys strong support among voters. The fact that he faces numerous trials, which according to him are political attacks, seems to have played in his favor more than against him. The real estate magnate from Nevada, Robert Bigelow, the largest donor of the government of Florida and the presidential campaign of Ron DeSantis, recently said that he is now supporting President Trump. After changing his candidacy, he assured that he is the strongest commander and that this is what the United States needs now, because the world is becoming more and more chaotic. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that the United States is deeply concerned about the military ties between Russia and North Korea. He made these statements during a visit to South Korea. Blinken and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, South Korean, claimed to be considering an extended dissuasion strategy to counter Pyongyang's threats. Leaders also spoke of promoting strategic cooperation with Japan. Blinken urged China to play a role to stop risky transactions between Moscow and Pyongyang. China maintains a unique relationship with North Korea. As a result of that relationship, it has a real influence, and we hope that China uses that influence to play a constructive role in the withdrawal of North Korea from this irresponsible and dangerous behavior. The United States, South Korea and Japan condemned the alleged shipment of weapons from North Korea to Russia. They pointed out as evidence the shipments of cargo from the recluse state to Russia. Good evening and welcome to Crossroads. At the beginning of this week, we talked about the existence of a global agenda to restrict meat. Mayors and about 100 cities around the world have joined a program to gradually eliminate meat. The goal is to achieve zero consumption. Absolutely none for the year 2030. These so-called fact-checkers have tried to rule it out, but they are doing it using a deceitful language. They are using technicisms to mislead people about the facts. In theory, it could be said that it is not a prohibition, that technically it is not a globalist program that imposes it on cities. So what is it? They are mayors who join independently a global program in which they affirm that they will carry it out. They are using local policies and budgets to carry out the objectives. We have already talked about this topic before, when we mentioned what is happening in the city of New York, where both the current mayor and the former mayor have already advanced in the plan for the year 2030. But it is not only about the city of New York. There are 14 cities only in the United States. One of them is Phoenix, Arizona, where there have recently been rumors about a meat prohibition that has been in the headlines. The program Ciudades CE40 is a voluntary commitment and a set of ecological agendas to which about 100 mayors from cities around the world have signed. In fact, the program is linked to the World Economic Forum, which promotes it on its website, and to Agenda 20, 30 of the United Nations. Now, the Galician mayor was quick to dismiss this as something false. She posted a photo of herself eating a bowl of cereal and wrote that there has been a lot of false information about her work to make Phoenix more sustainable. Then she said that she is not prohibiting meat or milk. Her statement was quickly refuted. However, Jeff Caldwell in AC Free News wrote a very extensive article with a bold statement, accusing her of blatantly lying. He pointed out the fact that Gallego is part of the CE40 board and a quick search on the CE40 website shows her page confirming this. In fact, she has a page on it. I would say that there is a technical argument here. Look, it is fair to say that she is not prohibiting meat or milk. What happens is that CE40 does not talk about prohibiting them either. The technical language they use is consumption intervention. And yes, the group openly declares their intention that the mayors of the cities get involved in consumption intervention to prevent people from consuming meat and dairy products. In fact, it is on their website and is printed in the group's reports. They do not hide it. The main report that people are referring to is from 2019, entitled The Future of Urban Consumption in a World of 1.5°C. It portrays meat as if it were the devil of an apocalyptic sect. It states that preventing people from consuming meat can save 160,000 deaths per year related to diseases such as cancer, heart problems and diabetes. It states that preventing people from consuming meat can help stop the great apocalyptic conspiracy of the climate emergency. In short, the group of cities, CE40, seeks to reduce the consumption of meat and dairy products in the cities that integrate it to combat climate change. So that represents a significant reduction in the amount of meat you will consume if you live in one of these cities. But what is the ambitious goal? Well, zero. They do not want you to consume meat at all. The same thing happens with dairy products. In addition, they want to limit the driving of cars and restrict the amount of clothing we can buy per year. This may sound incredible, but it is true. Now, how do they plan to stop us from eating meat? Do they know that people want it? The answer is that they propose that mayors use the city budget and regulations to change the way we eat. This brings us back to Phoenix, Arizona. Of course, here you have the paragraph with the numbers written, except for those that are in parentheses. Despite being a prominent member of the CE40 program, the mayor says that she is not prohibiting meat or dairy products, but seems to be taking measures to implement policies that are very similar to the agenda. They are implementing policies that align with that agenda, but they are not being honest and direct about it. That is, the policies align with the deepest agreement to which they actually signed. Not only that, but the people who make ironic public comments about these programs are labeled by the fact-checkers as fake news broadcasters. All this gives the impression that mayors are being dishonest about their real goals, and the media established for some reason are protecting them. What is certain is that they are acting in accordance with the CE40 agenda to which they have joined. They are using part of the same language, expressing the same concerns that are used to justify policies, and they are using their budgets and policies in a very consistent way with what the group recommends. When the media are accused of being part of the agenda, they usually deny it, and the established media come out in their defense using nuances and play on words to deny the statements in ways that are not really honest. Not only that, but we are seeing city by city, curiously, in places where mayors have signed these goals. As a reminder, the list of mayors who are part of this worldwide is publicly on the CE40 website. It is not technically a secret, but that raises a real question. Why do they seem to be trying to keep it a secret? Why are they trying to hide it from us? Why are they not saying it openly? And why do they seem to be trying to avoid telling voters and citizens who live in these cities, what is the real agenda towards which their policies are directed?