The racist patient.

TO THE EDITOR: Twenty-five years ago, I faced a situation similar to Jain’s (1). My experience involved a horrid anti-Semite; I was raised with Holocaust survivors. I finally asked my attending to be reassigned. He said that I was a physician and must fulfill my responsibilities to my patient regardless of who and what he was. My personal feelings were immaterial. My attending was right. Jain’s patient wanted his diabetes treated properly in a hospital that would not provide his medications. His request was legitimate, and Jain’s offer to use Mr. R.’s own insulin was a pathetic reply to Mr. R.’s call for Jain to solve the problem. Jain missed an opportunity to heal and win over a fellow man.