Medical Community Speaks

Dr. Jason Kristowski (Emergency Medicine Physician) – talking of public health perspectives of this bill

 

California predated GA on a lot of these issues—Fed law trumps any state law to entitle any person on US soil to medical care.

 

Our ER’s are overwhelmed… more and more are uninsured – more aliens coming – more hospitals closing – where do they go.  And we are overwhelmed

 

Rogers said Georgia is largest producer of poultry … this industry is run heavily by undocumented aliens using fake social security cards paying taxes for benefits they will never see.

 

When avian flu comes – it will come via workers working with sick birds.  I know communicable diseases not included – but people come with wheeze and cough – not communicable disease – so what will happen is epidemic that exceeds are radar

 

I don’t want healthcare to be included – it should be excluded.  Immigrants are part of our community whether we like it or not.

 

I went to Med school because I wanted to help people – I think it is moral responsibility to help the sickness… But, under this bill, that could be the case…

Dr. George Rust, professor of Social Medicine at Morehouse

 

Kemp: Please skip over same comments

 

I have tremendous amount of experience caring for immigrant populations

 

I’d like to suggest that this bill has important negative consequences for health of all Georgians..

 

Comments confined to health impact:  Research – 50% of ER visits are primary care preventable conditions.  But this bill parses out what care is applicable to illegal immigrants with some arrogance that we can parse out the care in such a way as to not hurt someone.

 

…

 

Requiring docs, may create barrier to care for those that forget to bring their “papers� that day… so the treatment is delayed that muc longer

 

If you must pass the bill – delete all references to health – it is not necessary to support other reasons for this bill.  You won’t know a patient has a communicable disease until they examine the patient.

 

You should also exclude health as you don’t need another layer of bureaucracy – we don’t need more paperwork…

 

And if you pass with health references – don’t ask us to enforce.  These students here have not practiced in a time when there were separate waiting rooms and segregated hospital wings.  We have determined we won’t be part of it again.

 

Dr. Mercado (sp?)

 

Pediatrician for 15 years… comments are similar.  As a physician for grady – Health and Immigration should not be combined…. Main point is I am a physician  – I want to treat them not deal with barriers

Jesus Limus

 

I am Fulton County Resident – 3^rd year at UCLA with MBA at Emory.  Am son of illegal immigrants who become legal in 1987.  I am story of achieving American dream…

 

Georgia has 280,000 undocumented illegal immigrants – I oppose this bill as it will have devastating impact on illegal aliens.  In terms of my nine siblings and me—we had immunization shots because my mother trusted American doctors.

 

When I treat – I see a brother or sister – not a legal or illegal alien

 

Many recent immigrants help make this country a better place.

 

With your support – more parents will get support, like mine, who will raise healthy children, Americans by birth, who are Americas future