Yesterday I had a patient who had had a contact with a suspected SARS case
that day. She was seen by me at triage by the request of the triage nurse.
There was little to do but give advice and I asked for to book in so I could
write down some notes: she refused. When I asked for her name and address
just so I could record them she refused. Her reasoning was that she didn't
want her name in the system associated with SARS as this would bring all
sorts of people down on her and her friend and even the press. She really
was quite adamant.
Ultimately I'm sure she's fine but what if she had had a more significant
contact or was actually symptomatic and still had this attitude? Have we
the right to detain people for the good of the population? Is it our duty?
My thoughts are that we probably don't have the right to detain, despite the
Tory's call for this, in the same way as we cannot stop people with
HIV/Hepatitis having unprotected sex or someone with suspected meningococcus
going out in to the community.
Any thoughts?
Simon McCormick
P.S. Having watched 'Outbreak' again last night, any nominations for where
the first fuel-air bomb should be dropped (political targets and quasi
academics aside!).
|