Question

Is Intolerance Intolerable?

(Based on news reports from Nashville, Tennessee)

            A couple requests that no black males be present in the operating room (OR) during a procedure that the wife needs. When pressed, they confide their main reason: the husband is very uncomfortable about having his wife’s undressed body seen by males of other races. Just before the operation begins, the surgeon notices a black perfusionist

(a person who is responsible for oxygenation of the blood during open heart surgery) and asks him to step out of the room. He then locates another perfusionist. Afterwards, the hospital expresses its regret to the perfusionist and condemns the surgeon’s actions.

Please answer the following questions:

a)   Did the surgeon do the right thing? Whether or not it was optimal (the best choice), did the surgeon take morally permissible action?

b) Did the hospital do the right thing?

c)   The hospital has position and mission statements that affirm the dignity of everyone.       Was the surgeon’s behavior consistent with these statements? If not, does it follow     that:

i.     The position and mission statements are questionable?

ii. The surgeon’s behavior was unacceptable, or at least dubious?

iii.                The statements were mostly valid generalizations but allowed for exceptions                such as the present case?

d) To what extent should personnel at these institutions accommodate people’s prejudice      and baises, and to what extent should they not?

e)   Suppose the couple had requested that no one in the OR be male. Would that raise     the same kinds of issues?

f)   Since many decisions are made based on people’s comfort levels and preferences,      when should these become viewed as decisive to the acceptability of treatment?

g) Suppose the hospital refused to comply with the couple’s request, and there were no      other facilities in the area that would treat them either. (in fact, in the Nashville case,      they had sought care elsewhere, but were turned away because of their preconditions.)     If the woman would in all likelihood die as a result of failing to have the operation,      how would that affect the acceptability of the decision?

h) May we, in some circumstances, allow discrimination based on people’s race, sex or      belief?

i)    Could the surgeon have acted in some other manner that would respect the patient’s      wishes without violating the hospital’s policy?

Answer 1

A. No, what surgeon has done is totally unethical; he should do such type of activity. This situation was very risky for the patients, if other perfusionist was not available at the same time.

B. No, I don’t agree with the management system of hospitals, by doing such type of activities hospitals are giving fuels to the racism. Several hospitals are forced to abide by these ridiculous requests to please the patient. Healthcare system should be keep out of racism. The racism in healthcare can results in delays in care, suboptimal treatment and also chances of that all patients are being treated equally well.

C. Doctors take the oath for the treatment to all the patients equally. Such type of activity will creates the phobia to the patients whether they will be treated properly or not.

D. There is no place of discrimination in health care sectors. In the health care systems such as hospitals, there is no place for people’s prejudice and baises, hate, anger, stereotypes, discrimination or marginalization. These types of incidences are going to happen so frequently and several lawsuits have been filed against hospitals by hospital employees.  

E. No such type request should be entertained by the hospitals management system.