Originally Posted by
Kennytheking
I'm sorry but I still disagree with you. You are using a handful of extreme cases to try and make a very broad based point which is not accurate.
I have never heard of medical records being reviewed as part of the upgrade process, which suggests that the case in point was special for some reason...what is the real story?
I think that you have made the point that EK Clinic requires the patient's approval to release any medical records which I would assume is in line with anywhere in the world. If you have chosen to give that approval, you cannot complain that the company gets the information. I should point out that medical confidentiality is an obligation on the clinic, not the company.
I will concur on 2 points though :-
- If the story I heard about the cancer patient is true, it will not cover the company in glory and I hope there will be a reckoning for that;
- I am not thrilled with the way the coverage is headed and all the approvals issues. Still streets ahead of most places in the world though, including UK & USA.
the cancer patient is about to die, since he lost his job due to his sickness he had to head back to a country where he does not get any proper treatment, and as he has no income anymore and no insurance, he cannot afford treatment somewhere else.
the lack of medical benefit and EK doctors to call and approve his treatments actually costed him a chance for survival. At the end mangers called him on attendance confronted him with his illness and it’s not acceptable to have him sick so many days for the upcoming treatments. The affected manager had details, which never should have been in this department.
that’s a good friend of mine and his doctor gave him just a limit time as there is nothing they can do. after years living with cancer and no treatment he finally found a job which will cover some treatment. Unfortunately it’s far to late to recover and they only can assist in lowering the pain till the end.
That’s a very very real story and I have been with him when he had spoken to managers.
the contract was more or less ended by a senior manger him selves himself.
So please don’t tell what this company is able to do if they want. It a very emotional story for my self.
Trust me the other story is not any less reality.
in this: once the attendance is covered by EK doctors no one should have the right and ability to demand more details as
1. they are no medical professionals
2. it’s confidential between you and the EK doctor- that’s why it is a EK doctor
attendance is a career factor, today more than in the past. But again once your attendance is supported by EK clinic no one should have the right to judge over it, nor to get some details.
EK clinic issues a medical license and that’s all what flight ops needs to know.
Have you never asked why you have to go to fleet once your doctor says you need a certain procedure. It’s not their judgment when and how the procedure can or should be done.
that’s you and the doctor only, once accepted by the EK clinic. No one else. I call this soft breaking of confidentiality, because they more or less they force you to explain your state of health yourself outside of any doctors confidentiality.
but I also understand as usual all stories we hear and did not happen to ourselves cannot be true. I also said it’s not a general behavior and I am just concerned over the fact it happens and can happen, and the fact it did. Therefore it can happen at any time when ever they want, because the ability in in-confidentiality is generally given.
i agree totally in the point confidentiality is a topic for the clinics. But as soon as benefits is about to pay the bills they need to see the details, and with a little medical understanding and knowledge of procedures and pharmaceuticals you get a pretty good picture of how it can go ahead. This is the point where confidentiality is broken as the data is in the administrative part of the company where there is no more data protection given.