Amidst growing concerns, Massachusetts hospitals are under fire for refusing to report newborns with illegal substances in their system, leaving vulnerable children born in troubled households without necessary support. Critics argue this policy, deemed “woke,” is disproportionately impacting minority communities.
Furthermore, the controversy highlights systemic challenges in addressing substance abuse and protecting at-risk children. As stakeholders debate the ethical implications, calls for reform are mounting, urging hospitals to prioritize child welfare over political correctness.
Boston.com states, a major hospital group in Massachusetts and New Hampshire is changing its protocol for reporting newborns with drugs in their system. Mass General Brigham aims to standardize testing policies, requiring written consent for non-emergency toxicology tests on pregnant individuals.
Following that, babies born with “substance exposure” alone won’t be immediately reported to welfare agencies, unless there are signs of abuse or neglect. This shift, effective later this month, acknowledges racial disparities in drug testing, particularly affecting Black pregnant individuals.
Dr. Sarah Wakeman, the hospital’s Senior Medical Director for Substance Use Disorder, emphasizes evidence-based care and addressing substance use as a treatable health issue.
Massachusetts hospitals refuse to report newborns with dr*gs in system due to woke policy
Mass General Brigham Hospital was probably reporting those black babies born with drųgs as white and got caught.
So now they’re not reporting them at all.
There’s a common thread here.
Leftist organizations keeping hiding the truth.
And in doing so harm those they purport to…
— Paul A. Szypula 🇺🇸 (@Bubblebathgirl) April 3, 2024
In addition to this, conservatives state that the liberals are trying their best to hide the truth. They believe that children born in an unsafe household should be taken care of by child protective services. Americans are showing concern towards the situation as these children might lead a difficult life.
It's criminal not to report. Period.
— Saltyveteran (@ChrisRundell) April 3, 2024
Moreover, conservatives add that it should be illegal not to report incidents like these. Others claim that this is a more common sight than most would like to believe. They believe that reporting issues like these should not have anything to do with the ethnic or racial background of the child.
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