Lack of Health Service is Sickening

Walking around campus, one can hear the sniffling of runny noses and grumbling of heavy coughs. The number of empty seats in class is increasing weeklyIt’s that time of year when diseases are passed from student to student until it seems that the whole campus is sick.And where we all go for refuge, medicine and a note excusing us from class is the Cowell Student Health Center.However, Cowell had the reputation of providing less than excellent service to students already, and now students are even more skeptical of their only option for healthcare on campus.In the past, when a student was sick, they could make an appointment to see someone in Cowell. Getting seen was never easy — especially at a single day’s notice. It is even more difficult now.Cowell is supposed to be a dependable resource for students, yet it seems to be overwhelmed, allowing students to get away with faking an illness to get out of class.To get a note, all you have to do is call and say you’re sick. No proof is necessary to receive a note, and furthermore no evidence of actual illness is necessary to receive medication. Cowell is trying to be efficient, but is doing it the wrong way.Teachers seem to be catching on that a student can easily get a note of excuse, so it may be very soon when a note from Cowell is meaningless, which is unfair to the students that are actually sick.Parents and students pay their hard-earned dollars for tuition — and for the university’s health insurance if someone is not otherwise covered — but they are not getting what they pay for.Yes, students are getting a preliminary diagnosis and medication, but they’re not getting treatment. They’re not getting the service experience that a doctor should provide. Students don’t leave Cowell feeling comforted, reassured or healthy, and that’s a problem. Students don’t trust Cowell and opt not to seek treatment for sickness, which has lasting effects on themselves and other students. Instead of going to the doctor, students go to class, spread their germs, get sicker and fall behind.Maybe Cowell needs its own doctor to fix its ailments. It shouldn’t take monumental surgery, just a couple bandages and old-fashioned tender-loving care. Alexandra Armas is a senior communication major.