...are some healthcare providers in it only for the money?

http://www.renewamerica.us/columns/benamon/060724

We all have depended on the advice of our doctors, on nurses, and healthcare providers to keep us in balance, and in health. These days, gross negligence is common in today's hospitals and in the healthcare industry. People's lives are in the hands of healthcare providers, so it's serious that they give people the correct information and correct medical care they need. But that is not always the case.

On a recent Montel Williams show, (Tuesday, July 18th), Montel highlighted "Hospital Horrors." His guests included people who have suffered from neglectful hospital care:

--A lady described waking up in the middle of an operation, paralyzed and unable to move. She then started to feel intense pain; she was able to also hear conversations of the doctors and nurses, and tried to get their attention that she was awake, but was unable to do so. Somehow, it was brought to the attention of the surgical team that she was indeed awake, and they put her back under. After surgery, the lady is hysterical, she and her family demanded answers. The surgeon said, "She was awake, we put her back under. Now let's just get on with her recovery." No response from the anesthesiologist. It was mentioned on the show that during at least 100 operations per day, people wake up in the middle of surgery (from American Society of Anesthesiologists).

--A doctor's error led to the slow death of a man's mother. She was diagnosed with throat cancer. The woman underwent Chemotherapy and was given other drugs to dull the effects of the chemo. Within 72 hrs, she became weak, the tests were misread. The man's mother died a slow and painful death while the only response from the doctor to the man was, "I bet you hate me, I killed your mom." The man sued, but settled. The hospital also forgot to sign the confidentiality report stating for him to keep quiet about what happened. That is why he is able to tell this story, and is now a victim's rights advocate.

-- A woman went in to surgery; had a surgical tool left in her body. She complained of pain over a period of 5 yrs. to her doctor who insisted it was nothing. She finally went to a chiropractor after having back pains. The chiropractor did an X-ray and found the tool. She sued the hospital that left in the surgical tool and only received... $250,000 for all her pain and suffering over the years (this happened in the state of California; the caps for medical malpractice is $250,000)! The doctor who left the tool in her body is still practicing medicine.

--Another woman had surgery...afterwards had extreme pain; described stomach of "being on fire" to the nurse. The nurse assured her it's nothing. But the nurse took a look anyway and freaked out, left to go get the doctor. The woman is told she will need to go back into the operating room. This continued over and over, 5 times over a period of 3 days! What happened? During the initial surgery, the woman contracted a flesh eating disease. The incision she received during this surgery was larger than she was supposed to receive. Her repeated trips to the operating room were important to keep ahead of the flesh eating disease by cutting it out of the woman. If this woman hadn't of said a thing about the "fiery feeling" in her stomach, she'd be dead.

These testimonies are frightening! When have some in the medical field become so lackadaisical about patient care? It seems to me that there are way too many in the field that practice medicine only for the money. But I do want to be quick to say that there are many others in the medical field who value every human life that comes through the hospital doors as if they were a family member.

I applaud healthcare providers who put in excessive time, love, and patience to care for their patients...they have a heart of gold. But there is too much scandal going on in our nation's healthcare industry.

Another shocking story, which came out the same day Montel's Hospital Horrors show aired, involved 4 patients at a New Orleans area hospital who were given a lethal concoction of drugs during the Hurricane Katrina disaster, by a doctor and 2 nurses. The doctor and nurses have been arrested for second-degree murder.

Those who practice medicine should be in the business of promoting life and well being, and the finest of care they can possibly give. And patients should be able trust that they are in good hands, and not fear that their doctor would consider snuffing out their life during any situation which appears grim.

This is such a big issue... a broad issue to cover in just one article. Look for my following piece covering the growing problem of government interference into the area regarding people's health, unrealistic views on health, and healthcare fraud.

Let's get the power back into the hands of the average citizen. Knowledge about neglectful incidents on behalf of some in the medical industry should be well publicized. It's happening all too frequently, and for the medical industry to start to heal, these incidents must be addressed and dealt with.


Related Reading:

The Montel Willliams Show; Hospital Horrors:
http://www.montelshow.com/show/?showID=4922

Doctor, nurses held in Katrina deaths:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13916867/

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