Doctor Alfredo Melgar denied the rumors about the possibility that the Cuban singer José Manuel Carbajal, known as El Taiger and hospitalized in critical condition after being shot in the head in Miami, would be disconnected from a life support machine due to the lack of health insurance.
"In hospitals in the United States, no patient is disconnected from an artificial machine due to financial or immigration situations," Melgar stated, also explaining that they have seen cases of seriously ill patients, including homeless individuals, international patients, and those without health insurance, who receive treatment without their care being affected by their financial or immigration status.
"No hospital proceeds to disconnect any patient under these criteria, nor under immigration criteria. Every person in the United States has the right to medical care," he emphasized in statements to Martí Noticias.
The case of El Taiger has mobilized the artistic community, with several colleagues and fans joining efforts to raise funds to help cover the costs of his treatment at Jackson Memorial Hospital.
The singer Bebeshito stated that he would donate the percentage of the songs he recorded with El Taiger to cover medical expenses.
Mawell also showed his solidarity, announcing that he will join the donations and calling on others to do the same.
These statements arose after a social media portal said that the artist could be disconnected due to a lack of health insurance.
Another point that has entered into debate is what will happen if the musician's condition does not improve and they remain on life support with no possibility of recovery.
In the state of Florida, where he is hospitalized, the laws allow that - in the absence of a representative previously designated by the patient - certain protocols can be followed to make critical decisions about his medical care.
In the event that El Taiger does not have a legal power of attorney designating a representative for his medical care, Florida law establishes a priority order to identify who can make decisions on his behalf.
Among the options are the guardians authorized by the Court: the spouse, the children over 18 years old, the parents or siblings, and, as a last resort, a close friend or a social worker.
A delicate piece of information is that - according to elTOQUE - if it were to be determined that El Taiger has suffered brain death, the medical staff would have the authority to disconnect life support, as brain death is legally considered equivalent to physical death in the state of Florida.
Last Thursday, the musician was found in the back of a truck with a gunshot wound to the forehead that damaged part of his brain, and since then he has been in critical condition.
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