IZRAŽANJE VERSKE SVOBODE JEHOVOVIH PRIČ PRI BREZKRVNEM ZDRAVLJENJU - Senica, Matjaž (M. Senica, 2010)
Pravica do verske svobode in lastnega prepričanja je ena izmed najbolj temeljnih človekovih pravic, na kateri temeljijo vse ostale pravice. Eno od mnogih področij, kjer jo pacienti izvršujejo, je področje izbire načina zdravljenja oziroma medicinske oskrbe. Med pacienti obstaja skupina vernikov, ki zavračajo transfuzije krvi, namesto tega pa zahtevajo zdravljenje z razpoložljivimi brezkrvnimi nadomestki, ki so v sodobni medicini postali že nekaj povsem običajnega. S tem pa se ti pacienti izognejo tudi mnogim zdravstvenim zapletom, ki so povezani s transfuzijami krvi. Ti pacienti so Jehovove priče, ki svoje versko prepričanje o vzdrževanju krvi utemeljujejo s Svetim pismom. Danes jim to pravico priznavajo številne mednarodne pogodbe, nacionalne ustave in zakoni, ki temeljijo na pravici do samoodločbe oziroma avtonomiji pacienta. Ta pacientova pravica vsebuje dolžnost zdravnika, da pred določeno medicinsko oskrbo skrbno izvede pojasnilno dolžnost, ki predstavlja podlago za veljavno privolitev ali zavrnitev zdravljenja pacienta. Jehovove priče kot pacienti in kot starši, kadar odločajo o zdravljenju svojih otrok, namesto zdravljenja s transfuzijami krvi, utemeljeno zaupajo v brezkrvne alternative, ki zanje predstavljajo največjo pacientovo korist. Ker svoje verovanje in življenje skladno s tem razumejo kot odgovornost pred Stvarnikom Jehovom, takšnega načina zdravljenja ne prepuščajo naključju niti v morebitnih prihodnjih nepredvidljivih dogodkih. Zato pri sebi nosijo dokument Trajno pooblastilo, s katerim prepovedujejo zdravljenje s transfuzijami krvi, v primerih, ko o sebi ne bi bili sposobni sami odločati. Nadalje to pooblastilo opravičuje pooblaščenca, katere načine zdravljenja sme sprejeti in katere mora v pacientovem imenu zavrniti. Čeprav zavračanje krvi teh pacientov temelji na njihovem razumevanju Biblije, pa sodobna medicinska odkritja kažejo, da je takšno ravnanje utemeljeno tudi z zdravstvenega vidika. Mnogi zdravniki so na brezkrvne alternative že pričeli gledati kot na »zlati standard« medicinske oskrbe. Številna sodišča po vsem svetu Jehovovim pričam omogočajo izvrševanje njihove pravice do samoodločbe, zaradi česar to ni le mrtva črka na papirju, ampak pravno utemeljena praksa. One of the fudnamental human rights, which all other human rights are based on, is the religious freedom and personal belief. Among many areas where patients exercise this right is when they are confronted with their choise of medical care. Among patients there is a group of believers that refuse blood transfusions, but demand to be treated with available bloodless substitutes which became quite common in modern medicine. This kind of treatment helps patients to avoid many medical complications that are related to blood transfusions. Those patients are Jehovah's witnesses who reason their religious belief about abstaining from blood with the Holy Scriptures. This right is nowadays acknowlenged by many international treaties, national constitutions and acts based on the right of self-determination, that is the autonomy of the patient. This patient's right includes doctor's obligation to give the patient a thorough explanation of certain medical care, which represents grounding for valid informed consent or refusal of a treatment. When deciding about a teatment, Jehovah's witnesses as patients as well as parents, when choosing treatment for their children, trust in bloodless alternatives, which are in their best interest as patients. They take their living acording to their own belief as a responsability before the Creator Jehovah. That is why they do not leave their treatment to pure coincidence, not even in possible unpredictable events. They carry a document – permanent authorization. The purpose of this document is to refuse treatment in cases when a person is not capable to express his or her will. Furthermore this way a mandatary is authorized to accept or decline certain treatment in the name of the patient. Although their blood refusal is based on their biblical comprehension, modern medical discoveries show this way of conduct is approved also by medical viewpoint. Bloodless altenatives are already seen as »gold standard« by many doctors. All over the world many courts of law make it possible for Jehovah's witnesses to exercise their right of self-determination. That makes it not a »dead letter« on the papper but legaly etablished practice.