After reading a recent report about how many people die in U.S. hospitals because of mistakes that could have been avoided, the Surgeon General wasn't sure which hospital to take his grandmother to when he heard she was having trouble breathing.
He decided that it was time for the government to take action. So, all hospitals must now post the following warning at the front desk: "The Surgeon General has decided that hospitals may be bad for your health and may cause you to die by accident."
The American Civil Liberties Union is upset that the warning has to be posted. They say that it violates the right of hospitals to do business with the normal expectation that some patients will die and some will leave in a less serious condition.
A person who speaks for the ACLU said, "This is a clear violation of the right to free business. Hospitals should be able to tell patients they will get great care, even if the person speaking for the hospital isn't sure if that's true. Forcing hospitals to tell patients the truth about their chances of survival isn't necessary and takes away their right to lie to them."
Chief Justice John Roberts said about the issue, "I can't say anything because I could get appendicitis at any time, and I wouldn't want the hospital to think that if I survived the surgery, I might not act in its best interest."
To help the government's case, the FDA plans to set up a task force made up of hospital inspectors who will act like patients. After a one-year trial, it will be clear how many people are still alive. The count will be used to decide what to do next.
