Are you My Doctor, or a Call-Girl?
Every profession has its bad apples, and unfortunately, the medical field is no exception. Take Dr. "Nogood." Around midnight on a Saturday night, Dr. Nogood got a call from a local Emergency room about a woman in labor with full-blown pre-eclampsia (high blood pressure, swelling, and protein in the urine.) Since her labor was not progressing appropriately, she needed an immediate C-section or she would likely progress into eclampsia, a life-threatening condition that includes seizures. The patient had just moved to Nashville and didn't have an obstetrician. Since Dr. Nogood was on-call for the Emergency room, she was called at home to come in immediately and perform the Caesarean section, thereby saving the life of the mother and baby. Unfortunately, Dr. Nogood had totally forgotten she was on call and was in the middle of a drunken tryst with her boyfriend. She was in no shape to perform surgery. But instead of telling the Emergency room doctors she was tipsy and unfit to operate, she staggered into the ER fifteen minutes later reeking of booze and dressed in nothing more than a slinky, black lingerie! The nurses frantically tried calling several other obstetricians, but none were available. (This was the days of pagers instead of cell phones.) Dr. Nogood insisted, with slurred speech and belligerent attitude, that she'd "only had four or five" and there was "no reason she couldn't operate." Since the patient's condition was rapidly deteriorating and with no other options, they reluctantly decided to let her operate. The charge nurse insisted she at least change out of her racy black teddy and into scrubs before meeting and examining the patient!
Amazingly, the plastered obstetrician performed the Caesarean section without a mistake and saved the life of the patient and baby.
Afterwards, however, the Emergency room charge nurse and the patient issued a formal complaint with the Medical Board. Apparently, the charge nurses had smelled alcohol on her breath before, but tonight's shenanigans was the final straw.
Dr. Nogood had her license suspended and was ordered into extensive alcohol rehabilitation. She must have moved out of Nashville or quit practicing because I never see her name in the doctor directory.