Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Lusaka Judge allows blood transfusion for Jehovah’s Witness boy, against mothers’ wishes

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THE University Teaching Hospital (UTH) will be allowed to give a boy, 3, a life-saving blood transfusion, against the wishes of his Jehovah’s Witness mother.

Lusaka High Court Mungeni Mulenga has ordered doctors at UTH to conduct blood transfusion on 3 years old boy without the consent of his mother, a Jehovah’s Witness.

The Judge said the ruling is in favour of the minor who lives with a Sickle Cell anemia condition and needs blood transfusion from time to time for his survival.

Jehovah’s Witnesses do not believe in blood transfusion according to them is un biblical and looked at as a violation of God’s law which any creature must not allow into their bodies because it was an act worse than death.

The Judge said the best treatment as advised by the doctors is through blood transfusion each time the child is in crisis and in the best interest of the child from time to time.

“ I now order that the medical personnel at UTH where he is usually treated be at liberty to continue conducting blood transfusions on the minor as and when need arises without the consent of the mother as it is in the best interest of the patient and not the mother,” She said.

Judge Mulenga said the minor has not made a valid and informed decision as to which church he should belong not even a Jehovah’s Witness and that his mother must not impose her belief over the boy’s treatment.

She said the treatment of the boy is of life saving nature and time would come when he will validly be able to make that decision over his own treatment based on religious beliefs.

The boy’ s mother was sued by her husband for refusing to consent to UTH doctors to conduct blood transfusion on her son based on religious background as a Jehovah’s Witness.

27 COMMENTS

  1. I wish the article to could confirm that the man who sued the mother is also the boy’s father. Oherwise we are left to assume so. that piece of information is so critical in appreciating the judges ruling. It make the ruling more compelling as it was also the wish of the father that the child receives blood transfusion and he would have much right as the mother to determine the boy’s fate. The one choosing life over a debatable religious position would obviously have the law on his side….but as I said, we are left to make assumptions thanks to the incomplete report!!

    • Acts 15:28, 29. There must be a very good reason why God added this verse in the bible. I will take some time and effort and support to fully understand. Maybe I been missing something here. What I know is that it is not always easy to do the right thing. And usually easy ways out are commonly wrong ones. but I wont Judge let me leave the judging to God. I will just try to understand this fully.

  2. This is how confused you christians are. I understand the Bible says no blood transfusion should occur. Which God would want a person to die just because he doesn’t like blood transfusion? Arent the rules or commandments humans obey supposed to support life? Africans need to wake up and start following what has made them survive not ideologies that arrive in the afternoon of your life.

  3. One of the most harmful Watchtower Jehovah cult doctrine is the blood transfusions ban that has resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of followers,including innocent children.
    The situation is worse in Africa where advanced bloodless surgery and treatment is either unavailable or way to costly.

  4. THANKX JUDGE FOR PROTECTING THE BOY THIS AS MADE ME TO REMIND GOVT TO PASS A LAW TO PROTECT CHILDREN BELOW 18 YRS / PREGNANT MOTHERS TO RECEIVE BLOOD AS RECOMMENDED BY THE DOCTOR. WE VE LOST A LOT OF PEOPLE FROM SAME ACTION. THIS IS KILLER 3 AFTER MALARIA,HIV. This shud be treated like murder and no adult shud stand for another one IF ADULT patient can refuse by writing its ok but not another person STOPPING ANOTHER ONE . Govt take this to parliament urgently pass a law

  5. Watchtower leadership has practically allowed all ‘parts’ of the blood individually,just not together!
    Their entire doctrine is senseless and deadly.
    The Bible says nothing about blood transfusions.
    They didn’t exist when the Old Testament and Acts were written. The Bible passages in question (kosher law) have to do with diet.
    The blood conservation gadgets that JW rave like *cell saver* are exotic expensive and not available in most parts of the world where a JW in Africa will just have to bleed to death before compromising their *integrity to Jehovah*.
    JW actually can use 90% of a bag of blood as long as it is a “conscience matter” and the Watchtower corporation is not held legally liable and sued for wrongful death.This dogma is deadly because the “rules” made up by the…

  6. JW actually can use 90% of a bag of blood as long as it is a “conscience matter” and the Watchtower corporation is not held legally liable and sued for wrongful death.This dogma is deadly because the “rules” made up by the Watchtower JW leadership is so complicated with so many loopholes that in cases of emergency trauma neither the hospital staff or the JW patient knows what ‘fractions are ‘allowed’ and what is prohibited.

    WWJD Is this what Jesus would do or want?

  7. The Watchtower Society – leaders of Jehovah’s Witnesses – know the policy is seriously flawed. They are trapped by a policy built on a poor understanding of science back in the 1940’s. They have already abandoned their policy against vaccination and organ transplants, and now permit the use of all blood fractions. This includes hemoglobin, as well as Cryosupernatant which by itself is 45% of blood volume. They will have to be pressured by governments, lawsuits, media and the medical community into giving up the rest of the policy. ****

  8. If an adult wishes to be suicidally stupid that is fine by me. The judge’s ruling is that the minor is not yet ready to make his own adult choice, so he will be protected by the law from having his parent impose her own belief that endangers his health. There is such a thing as freedom of worship, and an individual should be allowed to make that choice, not have religion imposed by their parents or neighbours or workmates or classmates or on the bus. The parents are free to teach what they believe, but not to impose restrictions on minors. So, if the child grows up and decides he would like to believe the same nonsense as his mother, that will be his legal un-debatable constitutional right. Hopefully he wont, and hopefully science and proven reality will replace superstitious fantasy…

  9. ..just in general ..this faith thing is harming and killing a lot of people…not only Jehovah’s witness but also the so called ‘born agains’…Pentecostal fanatics….iye…its like they physically talk to God…they are so embroiled in the bible such that their reasoning and judgement has been compromised….this include even very learned people…why kanshi…worse with our women folks…..someone to easily be convinced to stop taking ARVs because God will take care of the situation….some pastor in Kenya busy sucking women’s breasts in the name of deliverance….some women being ‘slaughtered’ in the name of casting demons..eeish

    • Don’t be deceived. For every good thing from God, the devil has a fake precisely to discredit the good, just as he has managed with you. (James 1:17) The Bible clearly warns of false men of God in the last days (Matthew 24:11). Be aware that anything that makes you to shun the Christian faith is from the devil because he is planting his false servants precisely for this purpose…DECEPTION! What you see today should not surprise you. Just don’t let your judgement be clouded by ignorance. Read the Bible with purpose and be spiritually informed, because the word of God lives (John 6:63; Hebrews 4:12; 2 Timothy 3:16). You will be able to distinguish good from evil. It is called discernment. Hopefully you will choose good and live by it.

    • …@Genesis…
      ….a good example of what I was talking about in my earlier posting…..brain washed with the so called ‘faith’…there is a very thin line between fanatics and lunacy….

  10. JW have clung to outdated laws of the OLD covenant for too long. Those laws are obsolete,aging and should have long disappeared. Heb 8:13.

    All the requirements of those laws were fulfilled in Jesus Christ. You still want to fulfill what Christ already fulfilled? Why put new wine in old wineskins ? Don’t mix the old testament and the new testament. Replace all your dos and donts with this word: Love.

    The judge love the child. The parent may make the child perish for his lack of knowledge.

  11. These stupid JWs are satanic, cruel and foolish. How can you want someone to die based on religious beliefs….which God do they serve?

  12. How long will primitive beliefs and practices keep holding Africa and Africans back. I believe in God because I don’t know everything but I surely don’t believe in things or gods that don’t make sense. Any belief or practice about God which does not leave us better socially, culturally and or otherwise must be discarded. Religion must be about overcoming human failures and weaknesses for better human experience.

  13. I certainly agree that certain belief practices are really holding us back in Africa. Thanks to the judge for unequivocally passing that ruling. Remember this that children should not suffer as a result of such beliefs and this also applies to all those parents who force children to undergo circumcision becoz there are a number of circumcision gone wrong cases that have left most males with a lot of complications!!!!! Can these practices be stopped please!!!!!!!!!!!

  14. People stop insulting your friends just believe in what you ve believed in.
    Even the judge herself is an ***** how can you judge someone based on your beliefs than his or her own?
    U re busy passing your silly comments than asking yourself the following questions:
    1. How old is the boy?
    2. How has he been surviving without this kind of treatment?
    The problem with us zambians everything is a political battle.

  15. Honestly you can NOT say JWs are Primitive, Useless, Satanic, Stupid, all sorts of name and that we allow a person to die. Some of these JWs are far much Educated, Good people, Loving and take accurate Biblical Views. What Kills people including our beloved children (minors) is not parents. Think of this: there are a lot of people who also dies after blood Transfusion. Readers What takes away blood from the human body? If I was a judge I would edge Doctors to CLEAR the stigma that is draining blood from that minor. If they Can’t even if you put more blood, “THE JUDGE SAID FROM TIME TO TIME ” it will be drained. Please you should all know that we can not break Jehovah’s Law at an expense of Doctor’s Failure to cure the disease that is finishing a minor’s blood. The truth is God has…

    • you are an even bigger fool. research the disease sickle cell then you will know why the blood drains. you are a pure fool to say the list. you speak so stupidly because its not your child. you people are weird and just evil. period

    • you are an een bigger fool. you people are weird and just down right crazy. You have not had a child like this before. you pretend to follow jehovah but you go ku nganga. such lies. ndimwe akaswili ba nganga

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