Christians - What is the right (Biblical) thing to do in this scenario?

Question

You live in a small town (14,000). There is one hospital and two surgeons employed there. You have an operation are released. Five days later you become very ill (extreme pain). You are re-admitted and learn that there was a negligent error on the part of the surgeon that performed the operation. This is a life threatening situation. You require two subsequent surgeries (done by another surgeon in another hospital) to correct the mistake made.
You have a full recovery and forgive the sloppy mistake of the first surgeon even though he refuses to admit his negligence.

My question is, is it considered gossip and slander to warn others that need surgery in this hospital about this particular surgeon?
Thanks for your thoughtful answers.

Answer 1

This sounds like a clear cut case of malpractice.

You would be doing everyone in the town a favor by hiring a lawyer at least to make sure all the bills for the two additional surgeries and your lost time from work as well as your pain and suffering and that of your family are paid for by the one who cause the problem.

He probably has mal-practice insurance which would pay all those bills.

If he didn't pay these bills himself or have is mal-practice insurance pay them, you go to court and this does the rest of the people in the town a favor and warns them not to let that doctor operate on them.

Many surgeons have 40 year careers without one mistake like that.

If we ask, "What would Jesus do?", what do you think?

Well in this case Jesus would have healed you and you would not have needed even the first operation.

So then what should we do?

Did Jesus not say, "Love your neighbor"?

See Matt 22:36-40

So how, in this case do we love our neighbor.

First let's ask as one lawyer did, "Who is my neighbor?"

Luke 10:25-29 (NIV)

25On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
26"What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?"

27He answered: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'[a]; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'[b]"

28"You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live."

29But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"

If you read the rest of the passage, Jesus tells the parable of the Good Samaritan.

In your case, I think your neighbors are the other 13,999 residents of your town, who need to be warned about this doctor.

When the local newpaper reports that a jury has awarded you $11 Million in damages, that message gets across loud and clear.

And the doctor won't be able to sue you or the newspaper for slander or libel.

Pastor Art

Answer 2

In the first place You need to hire an attorney IMMEDIATELY!!!!

Answer this question......

If your food from your grocery store that you pour most of
your grocery money into had salmonila..Would you let everybody know or would let the whole town get
poisoned????

Answer that question and your have the answer to the question you ask...

It is your obligation to warn others that could be injured severely by the negligence of the surgeons....

There is a way you do it ..Its thru the law!!!! Or you could be sued by those surgeons for Defirmation of character....

You have the definition of being a Christian mixed up with the law and your obligation to ensure others are not negligently operated on by these surgeons.

YOU are an accessorer to endangering other people in your town to these negligent surgeons if you sit by and do nothing....

Good Luck

Answer 3

Dear Kait,

That is a tough question and I agree with the answers of many. I have read and re-read you question and I'm still not sure if you are the patient in this scenario or if this is a hypothetical question.

Based on your other questions and answers that I have read, as well as your comment that you have forigiven the surgeon, I am surprised that someone still says that you are very bitter.

Something that others did not mention is speaking to the surgeon who corrected the mistake. Did he say anything regarding the botched surgery? What would he advise one of his own family members to do if the same thing had happened to them?

Would you be able to live with yourself if you did not speak out only to find out that down the road a similar sloppy mistake could not be corrected?

For His glory,
JOYfilled

Answer 4

Well, I believe that surgeons are people to, and as such, will not be perfect and make mistakes. However, gossip/slander are terms that I tend to apply to things that aren't true, so I don't really think there's anything wrong with relaying the story to others. I just think you might want to think twice before ruining this guy's career if it really was a simple mistake...look at past history, is this a common occurance? Or is this the first time this has ever happened? Because of course none of us are perfect and "the measure you give will be the measure you get."

Why?

Answer 5

My sister, I am sorry for your pain and very thankful that you made a full recovery. I had missed your presence here.

I have worked for hospitals, large and small, most of my adult life. The best thing to do is send a letter to your state's medical society, with a cc to the hospital chief of staff (unless this surgeon also holds that position!) and its CEO, describing the details your case. This would not give scandal, nor is it gossip, but it is simply asking for some accountability. They will undoubtedly fear that you will sue for damages, but you can make it clear that your concern is for future patients and not financial remuneration.

Surgical errors do happen, but most surgeons own up to them -- and feel terrible about making them. This surgeon may well do so, too, once he understands that you aren't going to sue. (At least I understand that from your details.)

I would be cautious about broadcasting your case, even if the intent is to warn others (other than your family and close friends, of course) as that could possibly be construed as slander. In any event, it would not bring this to the attention of people whose job it is to deal appropriately with the surgeon's conduct.

A blessed and peaceful Christmas to you.

Answer 6

Absolutely not. You've got lives at stake on one side and a sloppy surgeon's undeserved reputation on the other side. In fact, you should report his negligence. There's nothing Christian about condoning dangerous negligence. Paul talks about confronting a brother who has sinned privately, then with two or three others, then before the whole Church (community). The same, I think would hold for a non-believer as well. I don't know exactly how this would apply to your particular situation. You need to seek God's guidance for the best course, but the principle is clear: being a Christian does not oblige us to abet the dangerous mistakes of others.
More generally on the issue of corruption and negligence in Christian Life, Jesus said,

'If you owe someone money, and he takes you to court to sue you, make peace with him while you are still on the way, otherwise the Judge will rule against you and the Bailiff will throw you in jail.'

I'm sorry, I don't have the reference, but I think you can find it with a concordance. There are many places where Jesus talks about the high standard His followers must adhere to.
It is for the sake of preserving Important People's reputations in the Church that we have Child Molesting Priests, Homosexual Drug Addicted Pastors and Lying and Deceitful Televangelists bilking people out of millions.

On the other hand, it is because of the high moral ethical and spiritual standard that Christ followed and inspired that we have had the prophets, saints, and great Men and Women of God who have put Christ before their own desires throughout the ages, and down to this moment, from the Apostles themselves to the Great Missionaries, to people like Leo Tolstoy, Victor Hugo, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Brother Lawrence and Martin Luther King. Our moral and ethical standard must be Higher than the worlds, not lower.
'Unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the Teachers of the Law, you will certainly not enter the Kingdom of Heaven.'
Once again, my apologies, don't have the Book handy.

Answer 7

I'm not a Christian, or anything close to it, but it seems very logical and humanitarian to warn other people about this guy. That is, if he makes a habit of doing this kind of stuff. You need to check around with nurses and other doctors and see if that's his first error, or 50th. All doctors make mistakes periodically, just as all people do, when the surgeon makes a mistake it's more serious than when a dermatologist does so.
Isn't this from the Bible, "don't worry about the moat in thy neighbors eye, until you've taken the splinter out of your own." Or something a lot like that?
Peace

Answer 8

If you report this to the American Medical Association, which is what you should do, it is not grounds for slander. The Doctor who did the second and third surgeries have the evidence of the first Doctor's negligence. Think of how you will feel if you read in the news that he has killed someone. How many people would he have to kill or injure to make people realize he shouldn't practice medicine? I don't believe that it is un-Christian to hold a Doctor accountable for his work. If the Doctor has refused to admit his mistake, he is a very dangerous man. I also believe that he should pay for your surgery done to correct his mistake.

Answer 9

no !!?!! Or atleast it should'nt be looked at as "SLANDER" !! I say this because: If you have knowledge of any other persons at all that has questioned or made any sort of complaint about said surgeon's work!?! Then that makes your complaint even more solid !!?!! & Many others such`.as the heads of said hospital & some of his past patiences that he`s done any-type of operations on !! Just to get further info. that might help other heads of medical organizations/hospitals in the state;. to either be alerted/pre`warned!?! Or so other measures that NEEDS to be taken!?! Are indeed takin!!... Do something to inform others of how you feel on or about this !!! Your doing so could make changes take place!! That it wo'nt have to come to this again !! & or because of your concerns or protest could very well have you be seen as a hero to some for speaking up/taking action !! ~!!`... Furthermore. You might be putting a stop to a rising or soon to be MaD sO0`called doctor that would put others at risk !?!'R'`r,r`,`...

Answer 10

It is considered slander and gossip to warn others about this surgeon.

Unless you bring formal charges against the surgeon you believe to have been negligent, which will start a formal investigation, you have no right to spread potential lies.

For all you know, there may have been no negligence. That is for the formal investigation to determine. Not you.