Representative John Murtha Dies of Medical Error

by Heidi Stevenson

9 February 2010

Representative John Murtha, the first Vietnam veteran elected to the United States Congress, died yesterday from a medical error. He entered the hospital for routine gall bladder surgery—but his intestine was nicked. He died of it.

As a member of Congress, Murtha was privileged to have the best of modern healthcare. That wonderful care resulted in his death.

The gall bladder is generally considered a minor and virtually unneeded organ by modern medicine. So, it's frequently removed, as if it were nothing more than a nuisance. The "minimally invasive" surgery took his life.

Murtha was a conundrum in the House of Representatives. He fought doggedly against the Iraq War, apparently a matter of conscience. Fellow Representative, David Obey, stated, "Every person who serves in the military has lost an advocate and a good friend." On the other hand, he was known as a king of pork, taking home huge earmarks for his district. Supporters in his district said he brought them thousands of jobs.

It's a shame that Murtha didn't address some of his concern and passion to healthcare. The litany of people subjected to harm by an out-of-control medical system might have been slowed—and Murtha might have found a better solution to his own health problem.

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