Someone needs to point out the ironic connection between Michael Moore's new movie "Sicko" and the recently thwarted terrorist car bombings in England.

Admittedly, I haven't yet seen the movie Sicko, but according to several reviews, one of the model healthcare systems that is featured as a great example of providing health services for people is the United Kingdom's National Health Service. 

What is ironic is that 8 suspects have been arrested in the UK for allegedly carrying out the recent terrorist attacks and all 8 of them are employed by the United Kingdom's National Health Service.  6 of the 8 were doctors.

Why is this connection important?  Because it reveals a dangerous flaw in a supposedly superior healthcare system. 

According to a report from Star news services, there are 277,000 physicians registered to practice in Britain.  40 percent of those physicians received their medical training abroad.  The UK is importing thousands of foreign trained doctors due to the country's own shortage of doctors.  Now, the U.S. already does have it's own fair share of foreign trained doctor's practicing here, but adopting a socialized medical system in the U.S. could likely create our own shortage of domestically trained physicians, as a national healthcare system could turn off more locals to the idea of becoming doctors.

One of the greatest mistakes behind the recent attacks appears to be the European Union's own procedures for checking foreign doctor's backgrounds before they're allowed to practice medicine in the UK and elsewhere.  According to the Star news report, when a foreign born and trained doctor apply's to work with the United Kingdom's National Health Service, his/her clinical and linguistic skills are examined but their political and religious views and possible affiliations with radical groups are not scrutinized.

What is unsettling is that a seemingly professional person with high credentials can use medicine as a doorway to enter and gain access to another country.  And when highly bureaucratic entities such as the UK National Health Service have oversight on who gets to come in and practice medicine, it provides a more likely scenario for a wanna be terrorist to slip through the cracks.  We now must be aware that professional and highly skilled workers who apply to enter the U.S. may have their own ulterior motives.  Terrorists may not just be disguised as students with student visas, but could also be wearing white lab coats and holding a syringe. 

I heard a caller on a radio talk show ask if anyone has begun looking into the records of the patients who were treated by these alleged UK terrordocs.  Did they provide the best care for their patients?  Were they negligent or worse?  That's a question that should be looked into.  

Although I haven't seen Sicko, I don't think Michael Moore spent any time on this point. 
 
Now, no one here is saying that the U.S. healthcare system is flawless and needs no reforms.  Personally, I think the insurance industry should be the system that get's reformed, instead of punishing the doctors.  

But I hope that others who are more articulate and intelligent than me take a closer look at this point.  It will be interesting to see how the UK responds to this.  Will they allow political correctness to keep them in denial?  Will they make any reforms so that foreign born and trained doctors who apply to work in the UK National Health System are more closely scrutinized before being allowed to enter the country?

And if not, is the English healthcare system one that the U.S. should want to emulate? 

     Michael Moore