MRMC and Human Rights

Today is the day before we celebrate our Declaration of Independence. The signers of that document had guts to stand by their convictions at the risk of execution if captured by the British or if the Colonists were defeated. The latter was a highly likely possibility.

The most quoted phrase from the Declaration of Independence is this one;

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

And the United Nation’s “Universal Declaration of Human Rights” includes; Article 3. Everyone has the right to live, have liberty, and security of person. Article 22.Everyone, as a member of society, has the right to social security and is entitled to realization, through national effort and international co-operation and in accordance with the organization and resources of each State, of the economic, social and cultural rights indispensable for his dignity and the free development of his personality

What has that to do with today’s headline in the Courier? Nowhere is there mention of the availability of access to life saving health care in either document. Indeed, the terms Life and right to live, and right to social security have more to do with civil and political freedom free from oppressive tyranny than any guarantee of medical care.

I would contend that the denial or withdrawal of available health care and the offer of unacceptable inadequate alternatives is a violation of the implied statement in these two documents. Our understanding of human values has broadened during the almost two and half centuries that have passed since the Declaration of Independence was signed.

In 2008 Solaris with the apparent collaboration of New Jersey’s DHSS has without legal certification deprived Plainfield and its environs of their security of life saving health care.

The statement attributed to Solaris Public Relations Representative Weiss is truly a bucket of feces. “The Department of Health is aware of the moves we have made because they are physician-prompted” (italics mine).

The colon-rectal group terminated its Muhlenberg affiliation after it had been notified that Solaris intended to close Muhlenberg, had notified staff, and in doing so had initiated an exodus of trained care personnel. The hospital was now becoming an unsafe place for patient care. In addition the group had been promised practice perks at JFK that were hard to ignore. I find it difficult to accept the fact that one of the senior members of that group was not only President of the Medical Staff but had been for years a Member of the Board of Governors of Muhlenberg Hospital.

The bariatric program at MRMC has been headed by a physician who has a paid staff position at the hospital. This is just a transfer from one unit of Solaris to another.

I am sure that the Physicians, midwives and staff of the Plainfield Health Center voluntarily initiated the transfer of OB services to a hospital 30 minutes away under ideal conditions. Who is kidding who?

Weiss’s comment that there was no “jumping the gun” and that “state was aware of the orderly transfer of services” indicates an illegal concurrence between DHSS and Solaris.

Obviously if our unalienable Rights ,as I broadly interpret them, have been violated, what are we and the municipalities going to do about redress?

One other problem exits. If the Commissioner of DHSS and Solaris have acted in concert to bypass the legal process involved in closing MRMC who can we seek to initiate criminal charges?