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aren't docters supposed to save lives not let them die????? Why do they get to pick who lives or dies they need to just do their jobs and keep their mouths shut!
Given a finite number of beds, which exists, and a number of babies that need those beds, greater than the number of beds, <I>some babies are going to get left out</i>.
In such a case, giving the beds to those most likely to survive is necessary triage, and part of the hard but unavoidable choices doctors in the real world - where there aren't an infinite number of beds, and in fact might be less than there are patients, especially for intensive care - sometimes have to make.
(Socialized medicine is more of an aside than a core issue here. Trauma units in the US, non-socialized, also ship people elsewhere at great risk, or even end up unavoidably causing deaths, if they're sufficiently overcrowded.
And the free market isn't great at creating new capacity for things with comparatively low demand and great expense (without commensurate ability to pay).
Of course, a socialized system isn't great at providing capacity and quality service either, if only because there's no incentive or decent feedback to do so.)
No, not always. Doctors have actively killed 360 adults in Texas alone over the past 30 years.
Sigivald, if one may judge by waits for specialists, the free market system is doing a heck of a lot better at providing needed capacity. Mean waits for specialists in Canada; 17-18 weeks. USA: 2-4 weeks, tops. The main problems in the USA in assuring adequate capacity? States that decide for the markets where new medical facilities may be built.
If it were even close, I might indulge your argument, but the fact of the matter is that it's not even in the same ballpark. Whether it's waiting 2 years or more for a Trabant in East Germany or waiting 18 weeks for a consultation for critical coronary bypass in Canada, socialism is a failure at allocating goods and services.
Thankfully, here in America, we have the 5th amendment which requires due process of law before anyone is deprived of their life. That includes preemies (and should include unborn children in their mother's womb as well), and it is what also allows doctors to end the lives of convicted criminals as allowed by the laws of each individual state (which is what Davey boy is alluding to).
Sigivald, if I may expand on Robert's excellent points I'd also say that the socialized medicine aspect is very much central to the issue. These doctors are talking about saving money as well as saving bed space. In a socialized medical system the taxpayers foot the bill for health care. In such a situation, how long until politicians are able to enact laws cutting down on things they deem unnecessary? Like keeping preemies alive?
It is a scary situation and exemplifies why giving the government any sort of control over our health care is foolish and short-sighted.
The Hippocratic Oath also contradicts the Patriot Act. There are several good reasons why we no longer follow it.
"All that may come to my knowledge in the exercise of my profession or in daily commerce with men, which ought not to be spread abroad, I will keep secret and will never reveal."