The process in which prospective marriage partners undergo pre-marriage medical examinations is an illogical, unacceptable and unhealthy procedure. Medical centers and hospitals ask couples, who have been shown to be medically incompatible, to sign a pledge.
The pledge denies them and their future children free medical services if they were to suffer from some sort of medical condition. This is something ridiculous, especially in light of the fact that treating blood diseases can be extremely costly.
For instance, a young couple decide to get married. They undergo medical examinations and the results show that both are not really compatible for marriage and that the children they may have could suffer from some sort of illness. Nevertheless, the couple insist on getting married and having children who may potentially be unhealthy. To make things even worse, there are no regulations or laws that would prevent couples from committing themselves to the making of such a tragedy. So what is the solution to such a situation?
In essence, the Ministry of Health is helpless from making decisions that would prevent such “tragedies” from happening. It can only frighten people who insist on proceeding with such marriages by asking them to make a pledge — as a punishment for wanting to bring unhealthy children into the world — not to seek free medical treatment at the ministry’s hospitals.
It’s a pledge worth nothing. Children that suffer from illnesses cannot be blamed for their very existence and, like all citizens, have every right to free medical care and treatment.
To be honest, parents of such children cannot be blamed either. Many people in the Kingdom are ignorant of the effects of hereditary blood diseases. It is their ignorance that leaves many couples unconvinced of the importance of blood tests.
I really question the whole purpose of the health council’s decision compelling couples to have pre-marriage tests as the tests don’t even include examination of dangerous diseases such as AIDS.
I am posing this question knowing that some people will talk about the importance of adopting a gradual course in spreading awareness and forming opinions. But little do these people realize that this type of psyche takes us back to square one.
I firmly believe that the entire medical system is responsible for creating awareness. Evidence to support this theory can be found. In fact, making people aware of the pros and cons of any issue isn’t the responsibility of the medical system. The entire medical system needs to oblige people to accept decisions whether they like them or not and whether they understand their pros and cons or not. It is only when people commit themselves to the medical system that we will be able to see and achieve fruitful goals.
Pre-marriage tests are in fact important. Unfortunately, the very purpose of their existence is undermined because the couples have the freedom to decide whether to act according to their results or not.
If incompatible couples get married then that simply means that more and more unhealthy children will be born. It is a shame that people do not realize that many of these children cannot be treated due to a mere lack of resources. Yet we still insist on producing medically ill children. Wouldn’t it be a better idea for a potential couple to find alternative marriage partners if their blood tests showed them to be incompatible?
If we were to be faced with a situation where a couple desperately love each other, then let them get married but they at least stop themselves from begetting unfortunate children.
