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Kathleen Sebelius

katrina

Well-known member
Is Kathleen Sebelius human?? I just don't get it.. :???:





Many are calling on Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to allow Sarah Murnaghan, a 10-year-old girl dying of cystic fibrosis, to be allowed on the adult organ transplant list. According to current federal policy, the minimum age for her to be included on the list is 12. Currently, Sarah cannot receive an adult lung transplant until the available organs are offered to adult patients first.

Of course, Secretary Sebelius could always make an exception by allowing this girl to be put on the transplant list. Exceptions to federal regulations are made every day by the Department of Health and Human Services, whether you’re talking about the use of non-FDA approved drugs to treat cancer or the use of new technical equipment for surgical therapies.

In this specific case, however, we’re talking about saving a child whose only hope is to compete among other patients for a transplant. It is a perfect example of how rules are sometimes meant to be changed – or broken completely – especially when you’re talking about saving a person’s life.

Secretary Sebelius has only ordered a revision of the policy, which could take a lengthy amount of time – something Sarah does not have. To me, this shows lack of leadership and, certainly, lack of compassion. Doctors and nurses make instant decisions when it comes to helping others in need, and I believe that someone who is in charge of the largest health care agency on the planet should have a more proactive approach when dealing with these kinds of emergency situations.

The field of medicine has changed dramatically when it comes to the surgical techniques that transplant surgeons use. From minimally invasive therapy to partial organ transplants, new technical miracles continue to develop. Therefore, the argument that an adult organ may not be usable in a 10-year-old is no longer valid, and certainly open for discussion in our clinical community. As reports have told us, Sarah’s surgeons do agree that in her case, an adult transplant just might work.

The rule not allowing a child to be eligible for a transplant from an adult organ until the age of 12 is archaic, and it should not have taken a case like this for Secretary Sebelius – whose tenure has lasted for the past four years – to ask for a revision today.

I agree with many who have said that this child is a victim of age discrimination. But I also agree that Sarah has been ignored by our federal health leaders and has been placed in a bureaucratic Neverland.



Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/06/04/secretary-sebelius-stop-hiding-behind-bureaucratic-rules-and-save-childs-life/#ixzz2VNkfzdSH
 

Mike

Well-known member
A federal court judge has granted a temporary order that will allow 10-year-old Sarah Murnaghan, who is dying from cystic fibrosis and desperately needs new lungs, to join an adult organ transplant list.
The judge has scheduled a preliminary injunction hearing for June 14, MyFoxPhilly reported.
Judge Michael Baylson made his ruling after hearing oral arguments Wednesday afternoon on a federal lawsuit filed by Sarah's parents, challenging the "Under 12 Rule" that was keeping the 10-year-old off the adult transplant list.
Baylson's order tells Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to direct the group that manages the organ transplant list to cease application of it in Sarah's case.
And if there is another child in the judicial district in Sarah's situation, the judge would consider and probably grant a temporary restraining order for them, too, if the case is presented in court.
In a statement issued late Wednesday afternoon, the family said, "We are experiencing many emotions: relief, happiness, gratitude and, for the first time in months: hope."
It adds, "We cannot say enough about the global outreach and support we've received on behalf of Sarah—people of all ages and walks of life have reached out to us, prayed for us, and asked how they could help."
The Delaware County family retained a lawyer this week and quickly filed their lawsuit, arguing the rule keeping Sarah off the list is "discriminatory."


Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/06/05/parents-file-lawsuit-in-girl-lung-transplant-case/#ixzz2VNnzPLgc
 
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