Sounds possible....

When my second husband was in the hospital, the HLC was called in. They decided to wait until his blood count got to a ridiculously low level... and then they would arrange for him to be given something. I have no idea now what it even was. Fortunately his count stabilized and he didn't need what they were going to... "OK"... for him to have.

So, yeah they had something in the works.

Cas

An HLC member went to work at a hospital after several months of consulting with them on setting up their "bloodless surgery" center. He became an adminstrator at the hospital, in charge of that program. This was a full-time paid position. This scenario is not uncommon these days. One of his jobs was to serve as the liaison between the hospital and the HLC members, all of whom were people he knew and had worked with when he was on the area HLC.

His job at the hospital was exactly the same as it was when he was on the HLC: to advise JW patients as to what their options were in a surgical situation. He was extremely well-versed on the Society's "present truth" with respect to blood use, including fractions, cell savers, the use of EPO and other drugs, etc.

Every morning he'd review the hospital census report (which includes a notation on the patient's religious preference) and visit every single dub who was in the hospital (and especially those in for surgery). He would introduce himself and make sure they knew he was a dub elder and former HLC member, and then review all the options that were "approved" by the WTS.

He said that 98% of the dubs he saw "had no idea" what the current JW teaching was on blood and were usually surprised (and greatly relieved) when he ticked off all the available options. Almost every one of them then signed consent forms allowing the use of alternate medical management that included the use of fractions and other treatments.

This made the doctors enormously happy, of course. It made the hospital happy because it was a new "profit center" for them (they marketed this to the JW Community extensively). It made the dub patients happy, too, because nobody died. He was especially happy in the Trauma Center/Emergency Room because he was able to give the surgeons wiggle room when a dub was scraped off the highway and presented with heavy blood loss.

I would say you are exactly correct: His job was to make sure JWs take blood (or some fraction thereof, as allowed by "Mother"). And he was taught that through his years of work on the HLC, where he performed exactly the same work without pay.

Not that there's anything wrong with that, of course. But it speaks volumes about the extent to which this whole blood thing is truly "up to each individual's bible trained conscience," as the dub organization would have you believe.

The key word there is "some." At a conference I attended on advances in bloodless surgery, conducted by a dub elder hospital administrator, attended only by invited JW elders and their wives, the guy finished and then asked for a show of hands. He wanted to know, given everything that had just been explained about the Society's current position on blood and transfusions, how many in the audience would take advantage of all the options. At first it appeared the entire audience held up hands. then he asked, "Is there anyone who would not?" Two people raised their hands. The look on their faces told me they were silently condemining everyone else in the room!

Also: In some rural areas, there are no HLC guys like the elder I've been talking about in this thread. In many cities and suburbs, there are. Wherever an HLC has at least one guy who has some education and any kind of medical background and/or reads and understands the Society's current doctrines, most of the others generally bow to his authority on such matters. So, like many other JW perceptions, it depends on where you live.

The dubs that I know do not want any blood products at all. They equate them with other diseases and just dont want to take any. Their own life in this system is not so important.

But they are mainly "old school" . I have not spoken with younger ones..Did I not read when the poor girl from Telford (who had given birth to twins) was dying, the HLC tried to get the doctors to use fractions to try and save her?

The HLC is present to impose the conscience of the GB on the ill JW who
is between the sheets.  For "old school" JWs this means helping them
understand what "fractions" they may take.

For JWs who want to exercise their own conscience the HLC's job becomes
the enforcer, policeman or as some medical staffs have observed, they
are the Gestapo of the JW world in the hospital.  This Gestapo role is not
without justification to the JW mindset.  More than a few JWs will accept
forbidden blood components when out of sight of prying eyes.  Why do
you think that JW elders and "strong" family members want someone with
the patient at all times?

I've held that view ever since I left.

I'm sure I've posted it on here somewhere

In 2001 prior to anything being know about blood fractions the HLC was basically useless to us through they were there at the hospital with us when our son was injured in an car accident.  He had no suggestions and later I learned that some of the witnesses (2) had been approved to hemopure an experimental blood substitute new developed.  The HLC knew nothing of it and our son died.  I was angry and frustrated when I began to really look at the new developing teachings about the use of fractions. 

I hate the SOB governing body for their ignorance, and this stupid no blood transfusion rule they continue to support.  My ex husband told our son that now they can store and use their own blood.  So far as I know that is still forbidden unless something has changed in the very recient guildlines. 

Ruth