Confronted with never-ending impediments in their desperate search for answers, one would be wholly rational in concluding, PPP renowned for extrajudicial killings, has more than superficial knowledge in the highly suspicious death of Adrianna Younge. Moreover, considering the paucity of information emanating from both police and installed government, the irrefutable school of thought is, the grieving parents are abundantly justified in requesting a second opinion. In fact, it’s counting four weeks since the dreaded postmortem examination, and with the parents not being in receipt of the official report, the argument could be made, their urgency in seeking a second opinion is well-founded.
However, this is the challenge confronting us, in the installed government quest to oppose, they have asserted our legal framework, rightly or wrongly, doesn’t offer legal recourse to a second opinion. Having said that, the counter argument could be made, even though a second opinion may not be enshrined in law, it’s nevertheless universally good practice to respect such a request. In fact, the anecdotal evidence is, respecting such requests have innumerable advantages, namely offering the grieving families an independent perspective, which may be impactive in modifying initial conclusions.
Moreover, in the context of Adrianna’s preliminary postmortem examination report, a second opinion can answer the unresolved question on estimated time of death, which has legal implications, even as it offers the family peace of mind, integral to achieving closure. Furthermore, in the context of Adrianna’s parents, a second opinion could be that catalyst, providing understanding on the circumstances of their daughter’s death, critical to furnishing those difficult questions with answers.
But even as we passionately debate this issue of second opinion, made topical with Adrianna’s catastrophic death, it should be reminded such discourse isn’t unique to our 83000sq miles. In fact, the National Health Service and General Medical Council, both United Kingdom institutions, in recognising the rights of patients to second opinion, have in their policies, emphasise and remind healthcare professionals on the need to respect such request.
Furthermore, to reaffirm the importance these UK institutions place on second opinion, there is the Martha’s rule, a national patient safety initiative, which allows patients and their families to request an urgent inpatient second opinion, in the case of serious clinical concerns about their loved ones.
Having said that, second opinion representing patients inalienable right, should’ve the unconditional support of all healthcare professionals, evident in facilitative steps being taken. In fact, a healthcare professional confronted with such a request, of a patient or loved ones exercising this right, shouldn’t perceive it as casting aspersions. For this is the ideal, second opinion pervasive in healthcare systems, ought to be seen as that integral and inseparable part of the patient journey. And it’s when second opinion is viewed in this context, as a medium for better patient care, that healthcare professionals can embrace it as non-threatening.
Thus, it’s in this context, we take pause to examine the extremely dubious responses of this installed government, to a most benign request by Adrianna’s parents for a second opinion. For none would argue that the highly suspicious death of Adrianna, found floating in the previously and thoroughly searched pool of the Double Day hotel, isn’t of innumerable unanswered questions.
And paramount of these unanswered questions, critical in holding the perpetrators culpable, is the establishment of an estimated time of death. Moreover, and also critically unanswered are the multiple discolourations limited to Adrianna’s face, incomprehensibly explained as decomposition in nature, rather than antemortem injuries. But even as we explore the many unanswered questions, this phenomenon remains scientifically inexplicable, Adrianna’s body not bloated found vertically afloat in the pool, within hours of death.
Nevertheless, despite many perplexing questions, in the context of a highly suspicious death, this installed government, self-appointed last bastions to the postmortem examination rooms, are endeavouring to deny Adrianna’s family a second opinion. And having taken such an extraordinarily questionable posture, in denying a second postmortem examination, notwithstanding many unanswered questions, the concern is, this installed government must be actively involved in a criminal coverup.
