Deukmejian Vetoes 2 Bills

I wish to endorse the sentiments expressed in your editorial (“Turning Away Rape Victims,” Oct. 10) on Gov. George Deukmejian’s veto of SB 2205, which would have funded emergency examinations for victims of rape and child sexual abuse. As the medical director of Northern California’s largest emergency department for children, I fully subscribe to the philosophy that health care should be considered a right in the U.S.

However, it is extremely irresponsible for political leaders to mandate unlimited emergency care without simultaneously addressing the issue of how this care is to be funded. The governor’s veto of SB 2205 and the incredible situation developing in downtown Los Angeles surrounding the proposed closure of California Medical Center’s Emergency Department highlights the fact that we are running out of time for an answer to this simple question: Is health care for our citizens a priority, or not?

MARK A. SCHIFFMAN, M.D.

Oakland