Do No Harm

Excellent piece in the New York Times Magazine about the tragic and terrifying scenes that played out in a New Orleans hospital in the immediate wake of Hurricane Katrina. Harrowing.

I don't know what to think. All I know is it makes me angry. It seems to me that by euthanizing patients who had a chance at survival, however slim, goes against the Hippocratic oath, not to mention basic morality. The main doctor involved may insist she's not a murderer, but that just makes me more inclined to judge her harshly. What kind of person ends a life and displays no remorse for what they did, even if they believe it was necessary? What if it was your parent, brother, sister who was in that hospital bed? Would you still do it? What if it was you in that bed?

What makes it worse is that this woman is seeking to make doctors immune from prosecution for their actions during a disaster. If that bill were to pass, wouldn't it reduce incentive to save patients lives? They could just euthanize everybody and then get out of dodge. Does that seem right to you?

I'd take my chances with God rather than being the victim of some doctor who decided for me that I needed to die.