Hospital Negligence - Tips from FOX News
06/30/10 13:43 Filed in: Tort Reform
| Medical
Malpractice
Where will the ‘tort reformers’ (a.k.a. insurance
companies looking to boost their bottom line) go if
they lose the loyalty of their main media outlet? FOX
News ran a story today entitled
“Tips to Protect Yourself From Hospital
Negligence.” The article addresses recent
stories regarding infectious diseases being
transferred to patients because the hospital
and/or health care provider reused syringes,
bottles of medication or dirty dental
instruments. As a result, patients were infected
with diseases such as hepatitis B and C as well
as HIV. The article does offer a few good tips
for ‘protecting’ yourself from infection at the
hands of a negligent provider:
Still, one wonders, how can the patient be sure that medication comes from a ‘new bottle?’ The fact is that we must trust our health care professionals and, when the professional betrays that trust, hold them accountable. If the health care industry knows they’ll be held liable for negligence, then they’ll be certain to act in a way that doesn’t break such easy and common sense rules and needlessly exposes patients to danger. This is why ‘tort reform’ should never be embraced, it throws salt on the wound of the victim and eliminates the deterrent for the health care industry.
- Demand that all health care personnel wash their hands in front of you before they render any physical service;
- Demand that all health care personnel wear NEW gloves before drawing any blood;
- Make sure your health care provider opens new needles from new packaging in your presence;
- If any injectable medication is to be administered, it must come from a new bottle;
- If you do not feel comfortable in your current setting, ask to speak to the infection control officer at your health facility. It is your right.
Still, one wonders, how can the patient be sure that medication comes from a ‘new bottle?’ The fact is that we must trust our health care professionals and, when the professional betrays that trust, hold them accountable. If the health care industry knows they’ll be held liable for negligence, then they’ll be certain to act in a way that doesn’t break such easy and common sense rules and needlessly exposes patients to danger. This is why ‘tort reform’ should never be embraced, it throws salt on the wound of the victim and eliminates the deterrent for the health care industry.
