Someone asking re opening ceremony
Were the hospital beds in Olympic stadium just being used to highlight the queue one has in getting into hospital
or
Was it an overflow from the local childrens hospital...
Commentator was a yank.
Well, there are certainly shortcomings in the NHS however, if a person turns up (or is delivered to) an emergency department they do not have to provide proof of financial capability (as in many US locations) before anybody will do anything. A couple of years back my eldest son battled with cancer; I was able to make it over to the UK and was also around when he finally lost the battle. I have seen for myself what was done for him; it was a lot. While there, I was taken ill myself and while I may not have immediately qualified for free medical services (due prolonged absence) I was treated under the basis of the "treat first and ask questions later". One of the negative elements of living in the Philippines is the availability of affordable medical attention with reasonable peace of mind as to level of care, considerations that make me view the NHS as something overall pretty worthwhile. Certainly, the statement as quoted coming from an american is strange when a huge number of their citizens are really up a creek without a paddle when it comes to medical care.