LIVING AS CHRISTIANS: Week of January 15 to 21, 2024, Be prepared in case you need medical treatment or surgical intervention, Video: What is the work of the Hospital Liaison Committees?, Analysis and Answers.

LIVING AS CHRISTIANS: January 15-21, 2024, Video: What is the work of the Hospital Liaison Committees?, Analysis and Responses.

Be prepared in case you need medical treatment or surgery (15 mins.) Discussion with the audience by an elderly person.

So this week we are invited to prepare for when we need a surgical intervention or medical treatment, and we see that among the basis of the information it is mentioned that the Biblical basis for this information is Acts 15:28,29, in this Biblical basis The position of Jehovah's Witnesses on the use of blood in medical treatments is cited, and this text serves as support for the position that Jehovah's organization has on how we should approach the use of blood in medical situations.

Specific tools are also mentioned to help us follow the guidelines on blood, several tools are mentioned there such as the DPA card, the identity card and the specific informative documents on the subject, which are S 401 information for pregnant women and S 407 information for patients who need surgical intervention or chemotherapy.

In addition, it is mentioned how publishers can obtain the DPA card and the identity card for their minor children, baptized publishers can ask the publishing servant for a personal DPA card and an identity card for their minor children, it is also addressed the importance of always carrying medical instruction documents with us at all times. Since the importance lies in ensuring that the patient's or our brother's wishes regarding the medical use of blood are clearly communicated in medical situations. The need to carry these documents at all times is highlighted, 

We will also cover a little bit about what information the s401 and s407 documents contain and when they should be requested. The s 401 document provides information for pregnant women while s 407 is for patients who need surgical intervention or chemotherapy, the elderly should be requested when it is necessary to receive medical treatments.

What function do hospital liaison committees fulfill? and when should you contact them? The hospital liaison committee is made up of elders trained to provide information to doctors and members on matters related to blood, they should be contacted as soon as possible in cases where hospitalization, operation or treatments are required Even if there does not appear to be a problem with the blood, pregnant women should also contact this committee.

What specific services does the liaison committee offer to congregation members in blood-related medical situations? They see the liaison committee with the hospitals and they can talk to health professionals about medical strategies to avoid blood transfusions, and if necessary help locate a doctor willing to collaborate and are available 24 hours a day, 7 weekdays.

Play the VIDEO What is the work of the Hospital Liaison Committees? Then ask:

How can CEH help us if we need medical treatment or an operation?

The liaison committee is responsible for watching over and providing support to many of the brothers who at some point are patients in hospitals. This committee helps both doctors and Witness patients to agree on what treatment to use without go against God's law. They also provide information to doctors, some come to understand that they can treat patients without the use of blood.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

If we need medical treatment or an operation that involves the use of blood, the hospital liaison committee can help us in several ways. For example, they can provide us with information about hospitals and doctors who represent our beliefs and practices, and they can help us communicate our medical needs and preferences to health care professionals, so that both the patient and the doctor can agree on what treatment to use without going against Jehovah's law.

They can also provide us with emotional and spiritual support during our hospitalization or medical treatment. In summary, the hospital liaison committee is a valuable tool for us when we need medical attention, as it helps us receive appropriate treatment that respects our beliefs.

ANALYSIS OF OTHER ADDITIONAL POINTS OF THE VIDEO.

Have you or a loved one faced a medical emergency or important treatment? If so, you know it is very difficult. Psalm 41:3 promises that Jehovah will sustain us when we are sick in bed. How does he do it? It does not miraculously cure us, but it does support us physically, emotionally and spiritually. Hospital liaison committees are of great help throughout the world. There are more than 16,000 brothers who collaborate with some 2,000 hospital liaison committees. What is their work?

We help doctors and Jehovah's Witnesses agree on what treatment to use without going against God's law. Once we visited a major hospital with two other brothers and when we arrived there were 25 doctors waiting for us and several more were connected by video when we entered the room, one of the doctors told us they just walked into the lion's den, well that wasn't it. A good start, but we were able to give our lecture answer their questions and give them some medical articles.

These articles have been carefully reviewed by a group of doctors who have made sure they are accurate and reliable. The brothers on the hospital liaison committees then give them to the doctors to try to convince them that a certain treatment is effective without To use blood transfusions, doctors now understand that patients can decide whether or not to accept a transfusion and that they have to respect that decision, and they now also understand that they can treat patients without using blood.

Our surgeons have become incredibly skilled at using advanced techniques to operate on patients without the use of blood transfusions. We are convinced that the wishes of patients who are Jehovah's Witnesses must be respected. Making decisions about blood transfusions is especially difficult when there is a medical emergency, at which time hospital liaison committees comfort and help us.

Last year was especially hard for me, at first they didn't know what I had, then they misdiagnosed me and in the end, about a year ago, they told me I had esophageal cancer. I know that in this evil and cruel system, Jehovah is not going to be like that with his finger and say cancer out. I know I have never told him and I have never asked him for what I have asked him for, what I have asked him for. It is to comfort me and my family as well. The Brothers of the committee are an answer to my prayers, when I ask Jehovah for help, Jehovah has given me much more than he expected. 

Jehovah will sustain you when you are sick in bed and will completely change your bed during your illness. Sometimes there is a patient in bed fighting for his life surrounded by his family and friends and it turns out that the strongest person in the room is the patient, because this text is fulfilled here. Sometimes it is the patient who is encouraging everyone and who is saying don't cry, nothing's wrong, everything is going to be okay, but that's because Jehovah supports him while he is sick in bed. 

The Brothers of the liaison committee take such care of me every time I go to the hospital that I have come to the conclusion that they do everything out of love, especially because they love Jehovah and are grateful for everything he has given us. It is beautiful to know that they love me and I love showing them that I love them, I will never forget what they have done for me.

There are two very important things that we must all do: first, have our DPA card with updated data and second, before starting any medical treatment, let's make sure that the doctors will respect our decisions.

How grateful we are that the hospital liaison committees exist, we thank the thousands of brothers who work tirelessly for us, they are proof that Jehovah loves us and cares for us.