Imagine this....You are a doctor. You scrub in for surgery. You walk into your operating room. You see your patient lying on the table with a swastika tattoo and other Nazi symbols. You are a Jew. What do you do? You took the Hippocratic Oath to your patients. Do you put your views aside and operate or do you walk out on your patient?
This was one doctor's reality.
A Jewish Doctor in Germany was faced with exactly this dilemma and refused to perform the surgery after seeing a swastika on his patient's arm. "I cannot operate on this man, I am Jewish," the doctor told the medical staff. The German physicians association sided with the doctor and noted that in Germany any display of Nazi symbols or the Nazi salute is punishable by up to 3 years in jail.
What would you have done?
For more about this story go to : http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3999229,00.html
I commend this doctor for standing up for his principles and not operating on this man.
ReplyDeleteBut, I wonder about the implications of such a statement.
Can a doctor who has children refuse to operate on a sex-offender?
Can a doctor who was injured in a car accident refuse to operate on a drunk driver?
Can a Jew refuse to operate on an Arab?
Where do we draw the line?
If I were a doctor, since I took the Oath to care for and protect my patients regardless of anything I think i would have proceeded with the operation no matter my believes. Then again it is good that this doctor was honest instead of maybe going to do the operation and maybe messing something up on some intentional level during the surgery because of how he felt. One time when I was on the train I saw a man who had a swastika tattooed on his hand and I just kept staring at him and every fiber of my being wanted me to get up and either punch in his face or call him a dirty Nazi.
ReplyDeleteIt is hard to say what we would do if it were one of us in this situation. I really commend this man for walking away and I think that his courage should be acknowledged.
ReplyDeleteI think that if it were me at that table that I wouldnt have been able to walk away. As far as we know this man supports the Nazi ideaologies; but do we know if he has taken any action towards the Nazi goals? Even if he has is it within our rights, as Jews to refuse to operate on a man?
I think that if it was me at that table that would'nt have walked away. I would have really wanted to but I think that I could never have that on my conscious. What if the other doctor called in for emergency surgery didnt make it on time, or couldnt come at all, what then?
I want it to be understood that I do supoprt this doctors decision and I am just talking from my own perspective, as if I was in his shoes. I think that there will be instances that many jewish doctors will have to operate on many criminals and anti-semitists with neo-nazi ideaologies; I just feel that it isnt in our hands to choose who to save. If it were me, I dont think I could have walked away. I would have wanted to, and it would have bothered me immensly to help a man like that; regardless of all of that, I am only a person, a doctor, and I would choosen to uphold my duties.
Alla. I agree with you 100%
ReplyDeletePlus, torah teaches us benefit of the doubt: maybe, just maybe, this guy with the tattoo regrets of his evil doings, and had repented has g-d on his side, and maybe he did try to get rid of his tattoo, but ended u in the hospital! Most importantly, I truly believe in helping your own enemy b/c you are only killing him in a good way, by showing him that he's the evil one who hates you for no reason. Here, it would be phenomenal if the Jewish doc did save him and then the Nazi realizes he stayed alive thanks to the Jewish doctor. WHAT A pay back for all the 6 million jews....
Also, we are not G-d so we don't know whether he was a good or a bad man in general.
yeah, and at the same time we make a loud case about a British cop, who said he doesn't want to guard the Israeli embassy? That's kinda not too fair...
ReplyDeletePeople are equal, so probably first make the operation, and then send him to jail for wearing swastika, if it is illegal...
And also it's kinda weird to see this picture on this blog...
ReplyDeleteSo what does everyone think of the comparable situation where the Muslim officer was removed from guarding the Israeli embassy in London?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.sodahead.com/united-states/muslim-police-officer-refuses-to-guard-israeli-embassy---what-are-your-thoughts/question-990299/