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>The example I gave was cancer, currently one of the leading causes of mortality. You may prefer your toenail clipping non-example but it sounds like a rort and isn't very interesting or representative of most aspects of healthcare.

Of course. There are some wonderful things being done for cancer patients. I'm seeing somr being done right now in my immediate family
And as I said, I saw firsthand what the EMT's, nurses and MD's can do for heart attack victims.

However, the witch-doctors, pill pushers, botox dispensers, shamans and whatever- ologists are quick to wrap themselves in the mantle (as you did with the firefighters) of the heroes of the moment in order to gain credibility for their voodoo.
You neglected to notice that between 30-60% (depending on who is counting) of all prescriptions for drawing blood are not filled by the victims to whom the prescription is given.
Did all of those people die?
I've thrown away all but a few of the hundreds of prescriptions (again, intentionally obfuscated) I've gotten from MD's over my lifetime. Some (Cerebrex, et al) were later shown to have caused death in a large group of the recipients.
Luckily, I flushed that prescription and I dodged that bullet.. but thousands of victims didn't.