Friends insist that I should get a second opinion.  In theory, that’s no doubt a good idea.  The fact that NTU hospital gave me such a positive diagnosis — well, under the circumstances — is not itself a reason not to ask for another verdict.  But I really trust professor Ko.  He is very clearly the right man for this job.

I’m all for freedom of choice but the problem is that freedom of choice presupposes that you have full information.  You can choose between having a burger or noodles for lunch, but you can’t properly choose between one doctor and another.  You have to be a doctor yourself in order to make that choice.  What happens instead is that people are suaded by the nice sofas, or lack thereof, in the waiting rooms or the smile of a pretty nurse.  But that’s no way to make a medical decision.

This is why I’m against market solutions in health care.  I’m very happy to let people who have all the information make decisions for me.  I’ll stick to making choices about what to eat for lunch.

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