Kuala Lampur, May 8 -- The "mother" of all these "wrongs" is the concept that health care is just another commodity that can be traded in the marketplace. This concept should be rejected in a civilised society because, not only is access to health care a basic human right, but it is also a transaction with a huge asymmetry in knowledge between the provider (the doctor) and the recipient (the patient). More importantly, a decent health care system based on the solidarity of all citizens, and independent of the patient's capacity to pay, does something indefinable to our sense of ourselves as a nation. It makes us feel that we are a people, enhances a sense of belonging, and contributes to building a more harmonious society.

However, mista...