Here is the link to the news that appeared on the front page of Yahoo minutes ago (if its not still there now):http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/organ_transpl...Apparently a bunch of people died trying to deliver lungs to a man that smoked his whole life. I certainly hope that at the very least the cigarette companies are paying for part of the operation, but they should also pay the families of the victims of the plane crash for pain and suffering.And also, in this day and age should we even be wasting our time and money or risking the lives of doctors and pilots to save a guy whose condition is his own fault?
Answer:
Most likely, the patient was rich or important.
Our culture doesn't value individuals. It value their social status.
It's horrible for the families, but no one is going to step up and take the blame, because our society is all about avoiding blame. It sucks. Welcome to today.I'm sorry that you have a decent sense of justice. It's only been a plague to me, especially living in Los Angeles. All I can recommend is going to a psychiatrist if you can't take it.
You seem to by having a difference of opinion with yourself. You say that the cigarette company should be taking responsibility for all this guys problem but you end by saying that it is his own fault.I think that the whole issue is that guys fault who got the transplant. He made the conscious decision to start smoking in the first place.
I don't find this newsstory controversial at all. It was a tragic accident. Tobacco companies are not responsible for what consumers do. We all know the consequences. Just because a man's condition is his own fault is no reason to deny him medical care. If you were hit by a car because just this once you didn't look both ways before steeping off the curb, should you be left to die in the street?
i agree with max. however, cigarette companies have their subtle ways of trying to get people to smoke as well but whatever.in any case, doctors take an oath to help anyone they can even if it is that person's own fault.
As a healthcare provider your question of medical ethics is one that has been debated for quite some time. But it goes a little deeper than the example you give. One has to bear in mind that today the major causes of illness and death in this country is all a result of our lifestyles. It goes beyond considering who should get transplants..it goes to considering things like the high cost of health insurance to everyone because of the ones who will not live a healthy lifestyle. Smoking is a choice resulting in only bad outcomes....so is obesity...now how many people does that encompass? So should McDonald's be taking some of the cost of coronary bypass surgeries? Also, a hugh amount of diabetics are very noncompliant (diabetes type 2 is a result of obesity also). It is the number one cause of kidney failure. So do we refuse kidney transplants or the high costs of dialysis to those who have kidney failure as a direct result of them letting thier diabetes be uncontrolled for years? How about the high costs of healthcare as a result of alcoholism and drug abuse? Hmmmmmm.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment