emergency room emergency

From the Post:

Emergency medical care in the United States is on the verge of collapse, with the nation's declining number of emergency rooms dangerously overcrowded and often unable to provide the expertise needed to treat seriously ill people in a safe and efficient manner.
That's the grim conclusion of three reports released yesterday by the Institute of Medicine, the product of an extensive two-year look at emergency care.

So we can't expect much help in the event of a big terrorist attack or worse yet, a pandemic flu epidemic. That's because ERs are expensive and less profitable than boob jobs and prescribing drugs for depression and restless leg syndrome. Unlike toys, restaurants, and cable TV, medical care does not lend itself well to being a purely for-profit sector.