Abesifazane labo odokotela babo ababahlukumeza ngokocansi futhi babashaye benqatshelwa ubulungiswa yi-Medical Board of California, njenge Los Angeles Times uphenyo kwembulwe kuleli sonto, nasezinkantolo ngenxa yomthetho wango-1975 obeka umkhawulo ekuziphenduleleni ngokomthetho kodokotela okuyimpokophelo yoMthetho weFairness for Injured Patients Act ozovotelwa ngoNovemba.
Ihlazo liphinde lidalule ukuthi iziguli zinqatshelwa kanjani ukuphendula ezinkantolo ngenxa yemithetho ecishe ibe ngu-50 ubudala ehlanganisa izinga lempilo kanye nomonakalo wabasindile ezigulini ezilinyazwe odokotela bazo ngo-$250,000, inani elingakaze linyuswe. Ikepisi lilimaza ngokungafanele abesifazane, okungenzeka ukuthi bathole ukulimala okulinganiselwe ngokomthetho. Ikepisi lokungenzi kahle akufanele lisebenze ekunukubezeni ngokocansi noma ekuhlaselweni, nokho, okubhekwa njengebhethri esifundazweni sase-California. Eqinisweni, i-cap ikhiphe ukuziphendulela kwezomthetho kodokotela abangela ukulimala kokuzala kangangokuthi abesifazane baxoshwa abameli abazi ukuthi noma yiliphi icala elihilela ukulimala esimweni sezokwelapha lizovikelwa njengecala lokunganaki kwezokwelapha.
"Ngokubeka izithiyo ebulungiswa ngenxa yokulimala kokuzala, isinxephezelo sokuziphatha okungalungile senza abesifazane baseCalifornia babe yizisulu zokulimala nokuhlaselwa futhi kuvimbele abahlukumezi babo ukuba bathweswe icala," kusho uCarmen Balber, umqondisi omkhulu we-Consumer Watchdog.
Yilokho okwenzeka kuKimberly Turbin waseStockton. UKimberly washaywa ngu-OB-GYN wakhe ngesikhathi ebeletha indodana yakhe. Udokotela wakhe wangena ekamelweni futhi wamemezela ukuthi uzokwenza i-episiotomy. Ngaphandle kwemvume noma isidingo sokwelashwa wamsika amahlandla angu-12 njengoba emncenga ukuba amvumele abelethe ngokwemvelo.
UKimberly wayehlukumezekile ngokomzimba nangokomzwelo, eshiywe ezinhlungwini ezingapheli kanye ne-PTSD. Nokho ujikiswe abameli abangu-80 ngenxa yobudedengu bezempilo. Kwaze kwaba yilapho u-Kimberly efaka ividiyo yakhe yokuzalwa ku-inthanethi futhi efuna usizo lwezinhlangano ezimela abesifazane lapho ekwazi khona ukuthola ummeli futhi wamangalela ngempumelelo ibhethri lezokwelapha.
“Ngangisanda kuqala ukuphusha futhi nganxusa udokotela wami ukuthi anganginqume, kodwa wangisika,” kusho uKimberly Turbin. “Ngaphambi kokungisika wangitshela ukuthi uma ngingathandi ngingavele ngiye ekhaya ngiyokwenza. Wangihlukumeza futhi ngangingenawo amalungelo.”
UKimberly uthi "ikepisi libambezela usizo. Inciphisa ngempela abantu abalimalayo, abantu abalimalayo.”
U-Kimberly uyingxenye ye-Patients for Fairness Coalition yemindeni elinyazwe ubudedengu bezokwelashwa ebeke umthetho we-Fairness for Injured Patients Act ngevoti langoNovemba 2022 e-California. Isilinganiso singabuyekeza isilinganiso seminyaka ecishe ibe ngu-50 yokwehla kwamandla emali, futhi sivumele amajaji noma amajaji ukuthi anqume isinxephezelo emacaleni ahilela ukulimala okuyinhlekelele noma ukufa.
I-California Medical Association (CMA), iqembu elikhuthaza odokotela kudala liphikisana nokulungiswa kwekepisi, inesibopho sokuvimbela ukuguqulwa kweBhodi Lezokwelapha. Esigabeni sokugcina somthetho, i-CMA ijabule ngokubulala izinguquko ebezingashintsha ukwakheka kweBhodi ukuze lenze liziphendulele ezigulini. Ephendula ophenyweni lwe-Los Angeles Times, i-CMA imemezele ukugunyaza kwayo umthetho omusha ohlongozwayo wokuvimba odokotela abalahlekelwa ilayisense labo lokunukubezwa ngokocansi ukuthi babuyiselwe. Akwanele, kusho i-Consumer Watchdog.
“I-California Medical Association isebenzele ukubukela phansi Ibhodi Lezokwelapha kusukela abenzi bomthetho bavala ukwelulama kweziguli emacaleni obudedengu bezokwelashwa ngo-1975 futhi baphakamisa Ibhodi Lezokwelapha njengenye indlela yokungaphenduli ngokusemthethweni. Kusukela ekuqaleni kwayo, i-CMA ivimbe iBhodi ekugcwaliseni igebe lokuziphendulela,” kusho uCarmen Balber, umqondisi omkhulu weConsumer Watchdog. “Ukuvimba idlanzana lodokotela abenza amacala ocansi baphinde balahlekelwe yizincwadi zabo zokuthi babuyele emsebenzini yinto engathi shu, kodwa akwanele. Sicela i-CMA yamukele izinguquko zangempela Zebhodi Lezokwelapha ukuze lenze iziguli ziphephe kakhudlwana, okuhlanganisa nezinhlelo zokushintsha ibhalansi yamandla eBhodini ngokuyinika iningi lamalungu omphakathi, nokwenza kube lula ukujezisa odokotela abayingozi ngokuletha umthwalo waseCalifornia. ubufakazi obuhambisana nalokho kwezinye izifundazwe ezingu-41.”
Funda futhi ubuke izindaba zemifelandawonye yeziguli nemindeni elinyazwe ubudedengu bezokwelapha kanye nokweseka uMthetho Wobulungisa Weziguli Ezilimele lapha.
Funda kabanzi mayelana Nomthetho Wokulunga Kweziguli Ezilimele lapha futhi lapha.
LOKHO ONGAKUTHATHE KULESI SIHLOKO:
- We call on the CMA to embrace true reform of the Medical Board to make patients safer, including plans to change the balance of power at the Board by giving it a majority of public members, and make it easier to discipline dangerous doctors by bringing California’s burden of proof in line with that in 41 other states.
- Women whose doctors sexually abuse and assault them are denied justice both by the Medical Board of California, as a Los Angeles Times investigation revealed this week, and in the courts because of the 1975 law limiting legal accountability for doctors that is the target of the Fairness for Injured Patients Act to be voted on in November.
- In practice, the cap has so gutted legal accountability for physicians who cause reproductive harm that women are turned away by attorneys who know that any case involving harm in a medical setting will be defended as a medical negligence case.
