Monday, October 08, 2007

Medical Mystery

Is it any wonder that those who can emigrate from this country are doing so in record numbers, particularly if you happen to read, tales such as the frontpage story in yesterday's Sunday Times concerning medical students who for religious reason, wish to be selective as to which subjects they learn, and even what gender they will treat.

It's not unheard of for doctors to refuse medical treatment on the basis of ethical and religious dogma, such as the catholic church's, insistence on perpetuating poverty by rejection of contraception, although most Catholics clearly ignore such teachings.

Still doctors are entitled to their opinions and beliefs, although there must come a point where religious teachings, impinge on patients' rights to fair and proper medical treatment. Obviously few would argue with a doctor's refusal to be involved with abortion, since this clearly results in loss of life and transcends simplistic religious teaching.

According to the times's story, some trainee doctors are now insisting on being allowed, to avoid whole chunks of medicine, such as areas that relate to alcohol and sex. Apparently some male trainee doctors are either so delicate or brainwashed by religious teaching, they are prepared to fail their exams rather than examine a female patient.

This seems a great waste of supposedly intelligent people, may be medical colleges should vet students for extreme and incompatible religious views before wasting valuable teaching resources on those who are are clearly unsuited.

Frankly I do not give a toss, what If any religion a doctor happens to subscribe to, so long as they don't try and impinge their beliefs on me.

Just imagine what reaction you would have as a patient, were you to insist, on having a doctor who didn't mind a drink had no sexual hangups or fundamentalist religious views rather than some pious doctor who relies more on religious dogma than medical teaching.

It seems a mystery that someone would choose medicine as a profession, which most consider a "caring profession" and then as a result of their interpretation of the teachings of Islam discover that they cannot treat patients humanely and in a non discriminatory way, what an indictment of extreme religious views.





Click here to read the Sunday Times story.

1 comment:

  1. A virgin, teetotal doctor who actually knew a thing or two about medicine. Now that would be a thing.

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