Dear Joe (Loudmouth),

That depends on the circumstances -
doesn't it? If it was a matter of saving
someone's life and one wasn't able to
go through the usual process of following medical
hygiene procedure - then of course saving the life
would take precedence and a follow up procedure
could later follow when the circumstances became
available.

But then I'm sure that you know that being a wise old
owl and not a goose. ;-)

"Easier to flap around and divert."

Yep, like this http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?discussion=5769&page=0#161672

Regarding your question about hand washing.....you do realise that hand-washing was never an issue....

Except in the wilds of Whac-a-mozzie Land and the online insularverse inhabited by fearful Westerners and sundry cranks who post complete bollocks for the eager digestion of their audience-cum-cnspiracy nuts.

Lexi,

Just ever so slightly ducking the qiuestion, dear ....... in the story that started off this thread, they're talking about a nurse in a English hospital.

So here's the question for you, pwersonally:

"Should a nurse in a standard hospital be allowed to participate in a surgical procedure on YOU without washing his hands ?"

Or her hands.

Or should they be told to bugger off and try some other job ?

Underlying question, begging to be asked:

* are there limits to cultural excuses for outrageous behavior ?

And under that, another question,

* should we pander to the backward cultural practices of people, precisely because they are NOT Western ? i.e. (in some weird world) therefore good ?

Happy cogitating, Lexi :)

Joe

and still he continues.

The so-called story that started this thread has been completely discredited...

It emanated from a dodgy site, and was whipped up so that people like you could pick it up and carry it around with them and wave it about occasionally when their own powers of fiction are flagging.

"It has no basis in fact."

(Are you all there?)

Thank you, Poirot,

So if the story WERE true, you would condemn the practice ? You would demand - hypothetically, as it turns out - that anybody working in an operating theatre, would have to wash their hands ? You would fearlessly stand up to cultural tosh ?

Good on you, Poirot !

Joe

What a silly man you're turning out to be, Loudmouth."

"....if the story were true..."

It's not bloody true....

What are you banging on about?

Any culture which has the means to undertake surgery would have a pretty good idea of antisepsis.

Nurses and doctors from which culture, do you suggest, trained and qualified to be employed within the British health system would pose a proposition to health authorities on cultural grounds to do away with hand washing in surgical procedure?

A ridiculous and puerile hypothesis.