I heard on BBC radio 4 this morning that questions are being asked in Iran and Singapore about the ethics involved in this operation...I was rushing to get somewhere so I didnt make a very detailed note of what was being said,but I am certainly not the only one with the firm belief that these patients should not have died as they did due to the manner this operation was performed.....
I fully agree that it is fair subject to the consent of a patient to carry out life saving or improvement of quality of life surgical procedures if their is a reasonable(I'd say at least 70%)chance of the operation succeeding....in life and death incidences even non consential operation would be right in order to preserve life(as is normal procedure every day in trauma situations)...But in the case of these patients there appears to have been very little chance of success ..Doctors under the western system of medicine would not knowingly be permitted to carry out procedures certain to kill the patient,even if the patient had requested it,patients are very often suicidal,but medics are stopped from assisting them by virtue of the criminal law...
Funny isnt it how one reads that the Singapore government is seeking to earn massive income for its medical services...This high profile operation will have been better than a thousand advertising campaigns in attracting business from wealthy patients worldwide desperate for an operation no matter how hopeless their situation is...It all smacks of profiting from false hope to me....Of course us poor folks will never get the chance of one of these dubious big bucks private consultations so at least being for once being poor might be of some advantage.