Question

PRINCIPLES OF BIOMEDICAL ETHICS 56 city police and ambulance system. Numbness and cynicism, I suspect, are more often the products of frustrated compassion than of evil intentions." Hilfiker realized that he is "anything but a saint." He considered the label "saint" to be inappropriate for people, like himself, who have a safety net to protect them. Blaming himself for "selfishness," he redoubled his efforts, but he recognized "the gap between who I am and who I would like to be," and he considered that gap "too great to overcome." He abandoned "in frustration the attempt to be Mother Teresa," observing that "there are few Mother Teresas, few Dorothy Days who can give everything to the poor with a radiant joy." Hilfiker did think that many of the people with whom he worked counted as heroes, in the sense that they "struggle against all odds and survive; people who have been given less than nothing, yet find ways to give." These observations about ordinary persons who act in extraordinary ways pertain to what has been called moral heroism in living organ and tissue dona- tion a topic to which we now turn. Living Organ Donation and Tissue Donation

In your opinion, does our health care system encourage moral excellence, or make it difficult for doctors, nurses and other medical professionals to achieve moral excellence? Why or why not? (This is your OPINION, but you must give REASONS for it, hence the reason it is called a “Reasoned Opinion Post”. You are not graded on what your opinion is, but rather on how well you substantiate or support that opinion.)

Answer 1

We often fail to see that the healthcare system is in fact a system. Its an organisation where people work to earn their livelihoods. Just like any other institute, this one has some unique and some general flaws. The doctors, nurses and other medical professionals are just as tired, overburdened with excessive work load.

When we look at saints and Hero's such as Mother Teresa and Dorothy Days, we look at the bigger picture. They did good at the end of the day, didn't they? We wouldn't remember them had they not. But who's to say they NEVER had "products of frustrated compassion" within them.

Most Doctors, Nurses and medical professionals are doing the greater good. They treat their patients and save lives. This gives them instant gratitude along with a pay-check at the end of the month.

In my opinion, there is absolutely nobody who would do anything just for the greater good, selflessly. As stated in the example above of heroism and saintism, by helping someone else, do they not get absolutely anything in return? are they sad after doing those great selfless acts? i don't think so. They do what makes them happy. They do what ever gives them a purpose to live. Yes, their happy makes others happy too and thats what the world sees'.

We can only achieve as much moral excellence as we want to and the system has nothing to do with it.