Hospital Liason committe--another deception?

by cyber-sista 9 Replies latest watchtower scandals

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  cyber-sista

  I posted this on the WT No Blood Expose topic, but thought I would start it under a separate topic, because I am curious to know what experiences others had with the so called "WT hospital liason committee."

  While I was still a JW one of my close family members was bleeding and in need of a blood transfusion . Like good little JWs we immediately called the elders in the hall that were in charge of the hospital blood liason committe thing hoping they could help us with the situation. They came all dressed up in their suits, briefcases and bibles in hand, but didn't say a word when it came to anything about the alternative treatments, etc--they had no info to give us at all. At the time the WT had talked about some sort of shots that would increase red blood cells and other alternative treatments, but even at a large university hospital he was eventually transferred to these treatments were not available and we were told these treatments were not widely known or used.. Members of the hospital liason commitee in that area were suppose to meet us there at the hospital and be there during the surgery, but they never arrived (they later made up some excuse that they got their wires crossed somewhere) I never did buy that one--I mean this was a matter of life and death--you would think they could have followed up on us and made sure that all was taken care of. We were hoping that they could help us talk with the doctors and our family about all the alternative treatments that the WT had always written about.

  My relative did come close to dying and his recovery was rough, though he did live. Somehow I had expected (from the way I had always read and heard about in the magazines) that the hospital liason committee and the elders were supposed to rush to the rescue of any JWs who were in need of a tranfusion and offer them aid. But this was not the case at all--nobody helped--we were on our totally on our own. It was a few years after that when I totally left the Org, but this is one of the things that got me thinking. The WT didn't at all offer the help we had expected--the whole hospital liason thing seemed like a hoax. I think this may be another component of the deception around the blood issue. The WT always made it sound as if it the hopital laison committee was there and ready to use when any JW needed it, which gave us all a false sense of security around the blood issue. I wonder if others had this same type of experience too (?)

  cybs
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  TopHat

  Maybe it depends on your status in the cong...as to weather the Laison committee will stop everything they are doing and come running to your bedside in the hosipal.
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  willyloman

  It all depends on where you're at. Some hospitals offer a "bloodless surgery" or more commonly a "transfusion-free surgery" program at their sites. In those cases, there is usually a coordinator or director in charge. Often, that person is a dub with a healthcare background; many times it is a member of the regional HLC who consulted with the hospital in setting up the program and ends up getting hired for the full time job. This is a prize assignment for dubs, in part because it's a good paying white collar executive position and also because the WTS will let you pioneer while you spend 8 hours (or more) a day at this job, since you are constantly witnessing to people.

  At those hospitals, they are all over the medical management of your case and typically the HLC is very active, too, working closely with the hospital and its program director -- who might very well be their fellow elder.

  In other areas, where the hospitals don't have such programs or where their surgical staff is indifferent or even antagonistic to minimizing blood use, the HLC may not be very active. Or they may be active but not very effective.

  The Society would like you to believe that the handful of very effective HLC's is the norm.
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  Honesty

  My ex had a necessary surgical procedure done that includes blood transfusions approximately 25% of the time due to the nature of the surgery. The HLC didn't seem too concerned so they gave us one of the elder's phone number just in case something went wrong. I had some doubts about the blood thing then but almost immediately dismissed it because we were 'in' Jehovah's organisation. If I had only known.....
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  cyber-sista

  In other areas, where the hospitals don't have such programs or where their surgical staff is indifferent or even antagonistic to minimizing blood use, the HLC may not be very active. Or they may be active but not very effective.

  The Society would like you to believe that the handful of very effective HLC's is the norm.

  Willyloman...I think that explains the inconsistency. It was just another WT exageration of the facts. They never give the whole story, but twist it enough to build up the confidence of their followers--such as how sister so-in-so pioneered with 8 children and an unbelieving mate. The don't tell you about the kids and how they were neglected and abused by fanatical JW mother who was never at home to care for them.

  It's the WT deception game and we were all taught to play the game when we were witnesses. I remember not giving the whole story when explaining my JW religion to others (we didn't want to flounder them now did we?) It was after I got baptized I found out that the true teaching of the WT was that my unbelieving mate would die at Armegeddon. I studied off and on for a couple of years and whenever the point of my husband came up and I asked what would happen to him I was told that scripture about how the unbeliever is sanctified by the believer. I was never told the straight story. I was rather disturbed when I found out the real teaching. But I hung on for several years after that. I won't make the statement that I was deceived, but I will say I allowed myself to be deceived when I continued on ignoring my own instincts and conscience.

  cybs
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  willyloman

  but I will say I allowed myself to be deceived when I continued on ignoring my own instincts and conscience.

  Been there, done that!

  However, as Maya Angelou said, "You did what you knew until you knew better." Sometimes that knowledge takes a while to seep in. It did with me.
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  Gerard

  I wonder what you guys think of this blood management "award":

  http://www.jw-media.org/newsroom/index.htm
• 

  hamsterbait

  They just want to check that you ain't had blood, so they can decide whether to DF you.

  There was a case on this board where the hospital automatically contacted the HLC when a former JW patient was admitted. She had omitted to change her medical records.

  HB
• 

  cyber-sista

  
  Gerad

  I wonder what you guys think of this blood management "award":
  

  http://www.jw-media.org/newsroom/index.htm

  I read this article carefully and this is how these facts could have been twisted to suit the WT agenda.

  Yes, it says this film took the gold camera award in the catagory of Medicine, health and current issues.

  It appears that this award is based on cinematorgraphy more than the actual content of the film. This WT article here starts off quoting scientists, but it doesn't exactly say these scientists are recommending this film--I think it saying these scientists are in the film and these are quotes in the film. Sometimes awards such as these are won in categories where there are not too many entries--maybe the subject of Medicine, health and current issues are one of them. And, the WT has the funds and the means to put together a good production. The WT makes it appear as if this award was because of the content of the film, but this may not be the case at all and the scientists quoted at the beginning of the article may be in the film, but not talking about the importance of this particular film. I think it would be interesting to investigate these gold awards and find out what they are really about--maybe I will later. The above is purely my speculation, but my suspicion is this film may be nothing more than a hollywood production and not necessarily based on the actual facts of the matter. If you go to the above link (the Orgs official site) you can find this article under health and medicine. cybs
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  cyber-sista

  Here's the article--I tried the WT link to the site of this film awards association, but it read as an invalid or discontinued link. For Immediate Release June 13, 2001 Transfusion-alternatives video takes top award "Will existing viruses mutate and produce disease? There's no reason to believe that they won't," warns Professor Howard L. Zauder* in discussing blood transfusions. Professor Donat R. Spahn^ adds, "Side effects include not only the transmission of viral diseases that everybody talks about, like HIV or hepatitis B or C, but also new viruses . . . that are prevalent in the donor population. Also, parasitic diseases are more and more transmitted via blood transfusions." These two specialists and over 100,000 other medical professionals find compelling reasons to consider alternatives to blood transfusions. In the video Transfusion-Alternative Strategies—Simple, Safe, Effective, renowned medical professionals contrast the effectiveness of these methods with older procedures. This 28-minute program received the highest recognition when audiovisual producers from around the world gathered on Friday, June 8, 2001, for the 34th annual U.S. International Film and Video Festival awards presentations. Winning productions from 33 nations were honored at the Marriott Downtown Hotel in Chicago. Transfusion-Alternative Strategies took the Gold Camera award in the category of Medicine, Health: Current Issues. Accepting the award on behalf of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society was Director J. R. Brown, who stated: "It was a courageous step for a religious organization to undertake this medical video project. But it was worth it to them to get the information right, to get the experts involved." The competition also granted the Silver Screen award to the same video in two categories. These were Medicine, Health: Professional - Educational; and Medicine, Health: Research Documentation. The competition is one of the world's leading events devoted to the selection and recognition of outstanding business, television, documentary, industrial and informational productions, with 1,500 entries received from 33 countries this year. First place "Gold Camera" awards were presented to 111 productions, while 120 received second place "Silver Screen" awards throughout the competition's numerous categories. England accounted for the most entries received from outside the U.S., followed by Canada, Australia, Sweden and Germany. A complete U.S. state-by-state and international country-by-country list of gold and silver winners is available on the festival's Web site at: www.filmfestawards.com. The festival is one of two international competitions operated under the auspices of The United States Festival Association. * Professor Emeritus of Anesthesiology and Pharmacology, State University of New York ^ Institute of Anesthesiology, University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland