We rely so very strongly on doctors for everything from aches and pains to full-blown diseases without their support and the advancements in technology we just wouldn’t be able to recover as well as we do or as fast as we do. Even our mortality rate would not be as high as it is in the modern day and age. However, in Hawaii, there is a shortfall of doctors resulting in a lot of unthinkable outcomes. Firstly with doctors only being human, and under such strain due to dwindling numbers, there could be a very strong chance of misdiagnosis.
Why is there an epidemic in Hawaii
In 1973 Burns School of Medicine started to a programme with which they could grant degrees, in order to train their own doctors, but this programme has not been able to train enough doctors to meet the demands of the public resulting in long waiting times of up to four to five months for patients who need to be seen while symptoms get worse or unnoticed by the untrained eye of someone without medical training. This is for both primary and specialty care appointments.
Every in 2015, 2016, 2017 there was 64, 64 and 55 graduates respectively. However, this lack of graduating doctors is not the only reason for the shortage in Hawaii. Once a student has graduated from medical school, in order to practice as a doctor each student must do a compulsory three-year residency. Due to the nature of learning how to treat human lives, this is an intensive process that needs to be carefully monitored by a professionally qualified doctor.
It is very hard to do this with the number of doctors on the island already dwindling. It is hard to train new doctors when the already existing ones are so busy. Statistics show the eighty percent of all medical students who remain on the island for their residency are likely to continue their medical career there. In stark contrast, only fifty percent of those who leave the island for residency are going to return to practice medicine on the island. In 2015, 2016, 2017 only 24, 15 and 18 residents remained on the island to complete their residency.
What is the dangers of such low amounts of doctors
In most states there is a list of failure to treat reasons or wrong misdiagnosis reasons such as the following:
- Because of a bias towards you ie racism
- Failure to treat due to lack of insurance
- Failure to treat due to misdiagnosis
- Administration of the wrong medication
- Not fully ruling out a half diagnosis by not running tests
- Not being informed of all the possible methods of curing or bettering the diagnosis
While all the above in Hawaii are quite possible, there are a few that could be more likely that others due to the strain and pressure on doctors.
Call a failure to treat lawyer in Hawaii
A failure to treat lawyer in Hawaii can offer guidance and help you take your case further whilst providing help and understanding during the procedure. For the best results and advice contact us on 808-736-5035.