Researchers have given an idea that may seem strange to some of the readers but personally, I believe that the idea of reusing devices like pacemakers and defibrillators is prompted by the needs of thousands of needy people.
Coming out with the report, experts state that devices like pacemakers and defibrillators are mostly buried with the dead bodies of the owners of such devices. However, they believe that if these devices are modified and rechecked, to be reused by other patients, it can help thousands of needy patients who do not have access to such devices due to their high costs.
No doubt, these devices can be buried with deceased person but in case of cremation these devices may explode, therefore, it is better to remove them from patient’s dead body before cremation. To find out where these devices go after the death of the patients, these researchers interviewed about 150 patients and about 100 morticians came out with startling divulgence.
According to author Dr. James Kirkpatrick, University of Chicago:
We asked questions primarily about what they [the patients] would want done with the pacemaker or defibrillator after death, and if they would be willing to sign a ‘device living will. Eighty-two percent of the patients said they would be willing to have the device analyzed noninvasive, 79 percent said they would be willing to have it removed upon their death and returned to the manufacturer, and 72 percent were willing to sign a “device living will.’ Of those willing to sign a living will, 91 percent said they were willing to donate their device to a medically underserved nation.
It was also found during their study that 44 percent of the morticians threw away such devices as medical waste, 18 percent of the morticians donated them for human use in developing nations. While 10 percent of the morticians returned these devices to the family members of the deceased patients. In addition, 8 percent of the morticians stored these devices in the mortuary, 4 percent of the morticians returned these devices to the manufacturer, 4 percent of the morticians returned these devices to the hospital where patients breathed their last. Here, I tend to say that a big percent of these devices were not brought in reuse that could have helped thousands of patients.
Some experts believe that if these devices are returned back to the manufacturers after the death of the patients then the thousands of needy persons may reuse them. However, I fear that giving these devices to the manufacturer may prompt manufacturers to resell these devices to reap maximum benefits. I think, a society or organization should be established to carry out the task of redistributing these devices amongst the needy patients so that thousands of people may lead a better life with these life-giving devices.
Image credit: bcm
Via: hon.ch