Medical Ethics

"Medical ethics is a system of moral principles that apply values and judgments to the practice of medicine."

This definition was copied from Wikipedia. As much as I know about it, it sounds about right. However, I do think this is something dreamed up by people who have nothing better to do but criticise.

Example: a while ago there was a family where a child had a very serious illness that only a bone marrow transplant would cure. But the problem was that none of the family members had matching bone marrow. The family then decided that the mother was to get pregnant and the new baby was sure to have the right bone marrow.

Even if this solution cured the sick child it was strongly criticised as unethical

Example: my wife was at the point when they already knew She was incurable. I was desperately looking for some kind of clinical trial that might have helped Her. When I inquired at the doctors they told me that She was too ill for any clinical trial. I inquired why, do they only do clinical trials on healthy people? I figured that at that point it couldn't have hurt and I said that to the doctors.

Their response was that it was not ethical to do anything at that time.

I am convinced that there are hundreds or even thousands of similar stories out there.

It seems to me that helping the sick at any cost is unethical!

Why am I on this tirade?

Now comes the business end of the medical profession.

Radio and television are full of advertisings by various hospitals claiming that they are the best on any given field. The purpose of such advertising is clearly to totally confuse the public. Cancer Treatment Centers of America claim that they have the best of the best as far as equipment, doctors and everything else needed to cure cancer, and so claim every other hospital who advertise.

These kind of statements are confusing and are clearly will put doubts in the patients' minds as far as their decisions as to where to go for help.

My wife passed away at the best cancer hospital I can think of. But, what would have happened if She went to another institute? This and a million other questions keep cropping up when these advertisements show up.

Choosing a hospital is not like going to Macy's or Bloomingdale's or Century21. Hospitals are serious business and our doctors have to know where to send their patients for the best care available. And they will certainly will not be swayed by idiotic advertisement.

Now my question is: are these advertisements and claims ethical?

I should certainly think no! Where are the critics now?