THE ONLY PLACE IN MOLDOVA WERE THE DOCTORS FEEL OFFENDED IF OFFERED BRIBE OF FAVORS
It is said, not without reason, that man is what he eats. And what he drinks, if it comes to the point. This is in fact the origin of all disease and suffering of the „naked ape” (from Desmond Morris cetire) called homo sapiens.
Far be it from me to generalize and put them all in a pot, but the overwhelming impression is that today all sorts of doctors put you in the grave and we have no escape: so is the system! There are, of course, exceptions that prove the rule.
I’ve spent my last holiday in a sanitarium that is little known (but not clandestine) in southern Moldova, Leova county, a fruitful Moldovan-Romanian-American collaboration, which employs therapists from Moldova (including Transnistria) and Romania and where doctors regularly come from Romania and the US. (The curious ones can easily find more details on the Internet).
I honestly admit, that we were initially somewhat confused: we had an embarrassingly cordial and affectionate reception – that one seemed to have slipped into another world (and it was so during the entire session); then the stern warning: we do not accept bribe, this is beneath our dignity and would offend us; and finally: the regime is strict: no tobacco, no alcohol, and the food served is vegetarian. Otherwise, it is up to the patient whether accepting the recommendations or not, but the conditions are mandatory regarding vices.
Well, in the early days it seemed to me that we are in a training camp for guerrillas: wake up at 6.00, a brief medical examination, gymnastics, then the breakfast. From 9.00 to 10.00, exercises in the gym (for those who are willing to stop fighting with weight, we recommend returning to the gym at 11) …
But that’s not the main thing, but the fact that our eyes were open on many issues. Dr. Iurie explained to us with humor and concrete examples, that they do not treat mainly the diseases, but their causes. And he gave us daily food patterns and recommendations for body, soul and spirit–– living with Joy today, having the Love of God and Hope for tomorrow.
Here I understood best the saying: Not all that glitters is gold (in Romanian it’s a funny saying : Not all that flies should be eaten – regarding the food someone should eat). In our ignorance, we sustain the work of four categories of people : the manufacturer of garbage, who does not care about our health, the doctor, the pharmacist and … the priest.
Be healthy, dear readers!