A Doctor’s Calling
ABOUT seven years ago, Dai Suzuki, a ten-year-old boy, lost his life as a result of a traffic accident. The media accused Dai’s parents of negligence because they, in obedience to Bible principles, had refused to allow blood transfusions to be given to their son. Dai’s parents are Jehovah’s Witnesses. After a police investigation, it was established that there was no negligence on the part of the parents.
Jehovah’s Witnesses in Japan and elsewhere appreciate the efforts of doctors to save life and are willing to cooperate with medical personnel. They make use of modern medicine and accept medical treatment, with the exception of blood transfusions. But when a medical decision has an impact on their loyalty to Bible principles, they listen to God. (Acts 4:19) The Bible gives the clear command: “Keep abstaining . . . from blood.”—Acts 15:29.
So instead of compromising their belief in God’s commandments, Jehovah’s Witnesses choose treatments that do not involve the use of blood transfusions. Granted, the need for such alternative treatments may pose a challenge for those in the medical profession. But more and more doctors and hospital administrators are finding ways to accommodate the preferences of Jehovah’s Witnesses. For example, one newspaper in Japan, the Mainichi Shimbun, noted that recently “some hospitals are curbing hemorrhaging as much as possible and are willing to perform bloodless surgery.”
The article mentioned that at the Ageo Kosei Hospital, 14 operations on Jehovah’s Witnesses were successfully performed without blood transfusions between 1989 and January 1992. The hospital lays emphasis on informed consent. Its policy is to discuss with Witness patients the anticipated amount of blood loss and the dangers involved in bloodless surgery. Upon receiving a written release from the patient, the doctors perform the operation without the use of blood transfusions.
What moved this hospital to accept Witness patients and respect their choice of treatment, even though they were rejected by other hospitals? According to the Mainichi Shimbun, Toshihiko Ogane, director of the hospital, explains: “A doctor’s calling obligates him to respect the patient’s right to make the final decision and to do his best as far as his skill allows in cooperating with the treatment of the disease. Informed consent is very important from that standpoint.”
“Jehovah’s Witnesses for their part,” adds the newspaper, “have established hospital liaison committees in 53 cities throughout the country for their believers. The purpose of these committees is to negotiate with hospitals the performance of bloodless surgery.” As a result, a good number of university hospitals and medical institutions are now willing to give the Witnesses a choice of treatment.
At present, more than 1,200 doctors in Japan and more than 24,000 worldwide are willing to cooperate with the Witnesses by giving them alternatives to blood transfusions. Over 800 hospital liaison committees have contacted physicians who consider it “a doctor’s calling” to respect a patient’s right to choose.