What if a retired physician, Harvard-trained no less, wanted to give away medical care?
You’d think the huge demand would make it easier for him to accomplish this, but that’s not the case.
When funding dried up for New York physician Lloyd Hamilton’s free care clinic, he wanted to continue serving the same patients, even depriving himself of a salary. Unfortunately, it wasn’t so easy, as appeals to charities and community organizations went unheard.
Furthermore, malpractice issues would force Dr. Hamilton to pay $10,000 out of his own pocket in order to practice, and other retired doctors who want to donate care are running into the same liability obstacle.
If patients were willing to waive their right to sue these free clinics, they probably would find many more physicians able to offer care for free.
In these economic times, where health services are becoming prohibitively expensive for many, is that something some people are starting to consider?
