If you witness a medical emergency on a long-haul flight and know that the passenger next to you is a medical professional then you would expect them to help. However, a doctor recently opened up about refusing to assist in an emergency on Reddit and he is being praised for it. Read ahead to find out what happened.
A doctor refused to help mid air
In December end, an anonymous 30-year-old internal medicine doctor opened up about his experience on Reddit‘s Am I The As*h*le (AITA) thread. He shared that he was on a long-haul international flight when the staff made a call for any onboard medical professional.
Normally, he would have presented himself to the cabin crew but on this occasion, he refused because he was consuming alcohol. He had begun sipping on free drinks while enjoying in-flight entertainment and also had a glass while waiting in the airport’s lounge.
Therefore, he was fairly intoxicated when the announcement was made and decided to not help in this state. He also mentioned that a passenger next to him altered him about the announcement and later cursed at him for declining to help.
Of course he made the responsible decision! If you’ve been drinking please DO NOT take care of me. (Also: airlines should have med staff on long flights rather than hope to Hannah there’s a trained and sober Dr on board.) https://t.co/YaToeu70ue
— Elaine Replogle (@ElaineReplogle) January 1, 2024
She also told him that if anything happened to the passenger then he would be morally responsible. The doctor assured her that someone else might respond to the call and crew would receive the best instructions from the medical staff on the ground.
When the discussion kept going he irritatedly responded that he isn’t always available to respond to medical emergencies outside of the hospital just because he is a doctor. During the vacation, he is just another human who is entitled to enjoy some drinks and relax.
Netizen verdict is on the Reddit doctor’s side
This post soon went viral on social media as people began to discuss if the doctor did right. Some of the netizens criticized his decision reminding him of the Hippocratic Oath stating that he should be helping others.
I mean if you’ve been to medical school, your drunk is better than my sober first aid merit badge. https://t.co/X9DWp3fNGe
— Brandon (@Brandon93Smith) January 1, 2024
Some also argued that his first aid under the influence is better than non-medical professionals’ aid or complete negligence. However, the majority of the people supported his decision and just stated that he should have been more clear about his condition.
Elisa Karen Bell, owner of a travel agency and medicare insurance advisor backed the doctor in a statement shared with Newsweek. She also pointed out that he could have mentioned his alcohol limit to the other passenger as she might have misunderstood the situation and his intentions.
From a legal perspective, you don’t get Good Samaritan Medico-legal protections in the U.S. if you’re drunk.
— Kyle Fischer (@KBFischer) January 1, 2024
A lawyer supported the doctor in the comments of a TikTok video covering this incident. He said that providing medical help under the influence can have some serious liability issues in the long run.
Another netizen on X (former Twitter) pointed out that entertainment pieces often show doctors participating in complicated surgeries after they consumed alcohol but it is fiction. In the real world, they wouldn’t want anyone under the influence to help them in a life-or-death emergency.
As per the doctor, the cabin crew didn’t ask for help after the initial call so either someone else volunteered or the crew received instructions from the ground team. He also believes that the passenger was safe afterward as there was no other indication stating otherwise.
