On one particular afternoon, as I was walking in the streets of Bellville, I came across a crowd of people who were surrounding what seemed to be an old woman seated in a wheelchair. The old woman was unresponsive and her state caused the people who were surrounding her to panic. Especially, the young man who was accompanying the old woman, he looked anxious and quite scared. He cried out for help whilst embracing the old lady and tapped on her chest to try to wake her up. But, no response was given, as the lady sat dead still in her wheelchair. It seemed as though she had passed away there and then and the young man was in denial of the fact that the body he was embracing was indeed a lifeless one. Even with his attempt of waking her up, he tried to get the people around him to help get her to the hospital and find medical assistance.

However, the people surrounding both the old lady and her accompanist, did not move an inch to seek for help but rather stood there staring at the old lady. I witnessed the chaotic atmosphere as I was passing by and realized the reality of the situation, I realized that help was indeed needed and no one seemed to be willing to help. Also, I thought that I was probably the only one at that time who could have helped them out.  Despite realizing all this, I chose to continue walking towards my destination with initially no hesitation. But the further I walked away, the guiltier I felt and the more anxious I became. I then decided to turn around and ask nearby securities to help, and to my surprise, the securities were not keen on offering any sort of help. They said there was nothing they could do and that I should sort for help elsewhere. When this was said, I felt helpless and did not know what else to do. So, I then decided to walk away once again and as I did so, a woman who was among the crowd ran up to me and asked whether I was a nurse and, if I could help the old lady. I abruptly said no, then continued my journey. I realized that she asked this because I was dressed in my clinical uniform which, indicated to the public that I was indeed a health professional. Furthermore, as this whole scene unfolded, I took note of the fact that I was actually not the only student in the medical field choosing not to aid. Other students like nursing students, physiotherapy and occupational therapy students were among the crowd and they all did not offer a helping hand.

After witnessing the situation, I could not stop questioning myself about whether I should have helped or not and whether they were able to find help. I wanted to know what happened to the old lady and so I decided to go back the area I saw them and ask about her. There was a business opposite to where the incident happened. So, I asked the business owner about the occurrences that unfolded after I left. The owner told me that the old lady indeed passed away and that she had cancer. He also mentioned that they were on their way to the hospital looking for help prior to her passing away. But an ambulance came after a while and assisted them. However, she had already passed away by the time. When the business owner told me this, it was a bitter sweet moment for me. in other words,  I felt sad about her passing but also felt relieved at the fact that even though I do have a set of skills that can save a life, there was nothing I could have done to help her.  Finally, this incidence made me question whether to act or run when faced with an emergency such as the one mentioned above and what repercussions would one face with being a mere student who has a set of skills to save a life.

In the situation above some would argue and say that as a health professional, I am required to assist where there is a medical need since I do have a set of skills needed to help people especially, if it pertains to their health. However, certain circumstances do not always allow health professionals to act accordingly. For instance, there are certain protocols which should be adhered to when a health professional is found in such a situation. Also, the woman in the wheelchair was quite old which I find could be a supporting factor in the reasons why one would walk away in this instance. Therefore, the choice I made was based on the fact that the woman was old and there was probably nothing I could do to change what had happened and that anything I could have done might have made matters worse. Seeing that I am still a student and there might have been some conflict with certain protocols. Also, I did not want to temper with laws which may be present when a professional is required to help a stranger.

A study done by Mason (2016) suggests that South Africa does not have ‘Good Samaritan laws’ that require medical professionals such as doctors to help out in emergencies. Unlike other countries such as the USA.  In addition, Mason (2016) found that doctors who witness medical emergencies when off duty are reluctant to stop and help out. This may be due to the fact that there are protocols that hinder the assistance from the doctor. Good Samaritan laws which are prevalent in countries like the UK and USA allow for medical professionals to stop and offer their services in emergencies. ‘The laws are designed to protect both ordinary citizens and healthcare providers, who do not have a pre-existing duty to provide care and act to help stabilize a person in an emergent situation’ (Jodie, 2014). Providers who cause harm to the victim when trying to help save them are normally protected by these laws. However, in South Africa, such laws are not available. In other words, South Africa does not have these laws and therefore, limit the assistance of professionals such as doctors.

The situation considers both protocol and ethical obligations, Jodie (2014) mentions that besides the laws which govern the provision of health care in an emergency, there are also ethical obligations which handle providers who choose not to assist. There are countries which have laws that handle providers who choose not to act but run.

References

Mason. D, J. 2018. ‘When are doctors legally obliged to stop and render

assistance to injured persons at road accidents?’ medicine and law. Vol. 106, No. 6 received from http://www.scielo.org.za/pdf/samj/v106n6/19.pdf

Jodie (2014). ‘ run to aid or run away’ sick health care in the modern era received from https://scholarblogs.emory.edu/sick/2014/03/25/run-to-aid-or-run-away-the-legal-and-ethical-obligations-of-the-good-samaritan/