Question

I’ve been taking my whole family to the Natonal Hospital and Health Care Center for Academic and Medical Excellence for years now! I expect nothing but the very best care, and that’s what we have always received. That’s why I’m especially shocked at what happened last month! My mother-in-law suffered a fall leaving her weekly bridge game. We were very concerned, so we packed her up and brought her in to the E.R. for evaluation and treatment. While testing, they discovered that she was low on iron, something like that, and without discussing it with her or us, they were trying to insert a needle for a blood transfusion. Seems they couldn't find a vein and she was crying! Plus - my mother is law is a very religious person -- and her religion does NOT allow her to receive blood from another person. She was appalled when they came in and hung up the blood on the stand! Nobody asked her first! Nobody discussed it with her or us, they just got started with a blood transfusion. There was no urgency here; as a matter of fact, she was scheduled to receive alternate treatment about three days later at another facility. And the supervisor was standing right there! I can't believe nobody asked her permission! Thank goodness she realized in time and put a stop to it just as they were inserting the needle. Boy was she mad! And so are we! She flinched and pulled away -- and somehow she ended up falling off the bed!! So now there is severe bruising on top of everything else. Plus -- last Thursday my daughter sent me a link to a website where two of the health care workers were messing around in a hospital room. And you can see my mother in law in the background! In addition to all that, my brother says she never signed a contract, so we shouldn't have to pay the hospital at all.spot relevant ethical and legal issues. Once you've spotted an area worthy of discussion, be it in civil law, privacy protections, or whatever, analyze the issue though the lens of course materials and discussions.

the course is medical ethics and laws

Answer 1

Answer:

While conducting any of the treatment, it the ethical, moral and legal responsibility of the physician and the hospital to take the consent from the patient itself if he or she is in the sound mid of state or from the legal heirs of the patient who are matured enough and knows the patient very closely.

In the case of mother in law, hospital did not took consent from her or her heirs before inserting the needle or applying the procedure of adding blood to her body. In the procedure of stopping the person from supplying blood to her, she fell off the bed as a result of which she suffered severe bruises. Moreover, while carrying out the medical procedure on mother in law, two of the medical workers were messing with each other as reported by the sister of heir of mother in law. The brother of the concerned person says that mother in law has never signed the contract and still hospital has conducted medical procedure on her.

Putting up a needle and supplying blood to the patient without her consent is completely unethical and illegal. Hospitals are required to first take the written consent from the patients while carrying out the medical procedure. Since, hospital failed to do so, mother in law and her son in law can sue the hospital for conducting the medical procedure without anybody’s consent.

In the process of stopping the medical staff from supplying her with the blood, mother in law suffered severe bruises which could be considered as tort to mother in law as a part of negligence from the hospital. Mother in law and her son in law could sue hospital under criminal charges of making a tort to her on behalf of negligence by hospital.

Moreover, while carrying out the medical procedure on mother in law, two of the medical workers were messing with each other as reported by the sister of heir of mother in law. This is completely non professional behaviour of the employees of the hospital which could affect the patient’s mental state as they are in the critical stage.

Since mother in law has never signed the contract, hence, conduction of medical process over mother in law was unethical and was against the law.