Discussion Forums > Announcements
Singapore Scientific Programme Schedule
Andy Battaglia:
First I would like to remind everyone that in the course of discussion, baseball bats are not an appropriate response. Argument utilizing reason is.
I truly wish the organizers of this conference had reached out for help when confronted with this decision by the Health Science Authority, as I am certain we would have been able to provide strong arguments as to why this decision is wrong and why this prohibition is totally out of place at a conference that is specifically for patients and families.
I have received this message as an explanation.
--- Quote ---The reason for this strict rules and regulations is to protect the lay people as they are not medically trained to make an informed choice for themselves.
--- End quote ---
Ugh. This is so completely wrong. It contradicts everything that is well accepted concerning patient rights and embodied at the core of the Patient Bill of Rights, which I have posted under documents. I do not know if any such protection is given to patients in Singapore, but this is something that should be provided to every patient in every country.
--- Quote ---The patient has the right to obtain from his or her physician complete current information about diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis in easily understandable terms. If it is medically inadvisable to give such information to the patients, it will be given to a legally authorized representative.
The patient has the right to receive from his or her physician information necessary to give informed consent prior to the start of any procedure or treatment. Except in emergencies this will include, but not necessarily be limited to, a description of the specific procedure or treatment, any risks involved, and the probable duration of any incapacitation. When there are alternatives to therapeutically designed research protocols, the patient has the right to know about them.
--- End quote ---
No patient anywhere should accept less and the fact that the Singapore patients have accepted the notion that they have no rights to information is a sad commentary on their own self esteem as patients. They, like all patients have a right to make their own decision about treatment and can only do this when they have full access to information. If the organizers had made this situation public as soon as they learned of this ruling, we may have been able to provide expert testimony from doctors and hospital administrators to support the concept of the Patient Bill of Rights.
This situation has opened a new awareness in me that not all countries have moved forward to this acceptance that patients have full rights to be informed of all aspects of their condition and all treatment options, and that in the end, only the patient can ultimately make any decision about his or her own health care.
I hope we can bring something productive out of this situation and to get things moving in that direction, I will ask patients from around the world to let us know what rights patients in their countries have. This is such an important issue and I hope we can get away from the negative issue here and turn it into something that can help advance the cause of patient rights throughout the world.
I also do wish to thank the conference organizers for their incredible effort to put on this conference, even though severely understaffed. Kymn, Derrick and Helen all deserve much thanks for pulling this off and I so wish that things could have gone easier and I do realize that there will be more disappointment coming for conference attendees who do not yet know of this decision. With that said, I offer any help I can give to the organizers in explaining to patients why they will not be allowed into some of the programs. We need to move on and make the most of this conference for all attendees.
Sharmin:
Hope things are going well at the conference!
Nice to hear from you Zaini :hugfriend
Thank you kindly Maako :hugfriend
Sharmin
Kathy11:
Thank-you Maako.
:hugfriend
We all need a soft place to fall,
I'm glad I belong to this group friends with some fantastic human-beings.
Always
Kathy.
poo gill:
Hi Kathy, Sharni, Zaini
A big hi. WE all are here. Andy , Shilpa, Simran have arrived day before yesterday. Imaan(Maako) has also reached I have spoken to her and we are meeting tomm. Mariam(Aysam) has got herself registered as well, I will be meeting her in the evening. Dr Marwaha and Manal are expected to reach in one hours time.
I have spoken to Kymn, she is well just very busy and tired. Has to be she has pulled it off singlehandedly. I had voulnteered to help her for arrangements when I came back toi SGP from India after my son's spleenectomy, but she had declined, being the kind soul she is.
Guess very soon after the conference we wil be saying All's well that end's well.
Cheers
Kathy11:
Hi poo gill,
I am glad you travelled safe and now sharing with us about what is happening there,
It is also nice to hear that all is well with everyone.
Looking forward to hear from Manal, about her meetings,and her learning.
Take care
bighug to everyone
from Kathy
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
[*] Previous page
Go to full version