‘Dying in Dignity’
The article about the nurse who faced murder charges for turning down the ventilator settings of a comatose patient paints a familiar picture of the hypocrisy of the medical Establishment. The consulting physician’s statement that doctors should never turn off life support systems of otherwise dead patients because “our job is to help patients” is laughable, particularly in light of the fact that the patient, in his own living will, and his family wanted no such measures taken. The doctor and the hospital were helping not the patient but themselves, to the tune of $500,000.
HOWARD COTT
KIM SCHLESINGER
West Hollywood
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
