Page 6-Friday, June 9, 1978-The Michigan Daily Solzhenits n ealls West 'spiritually empty' The stocky, bearded writer was the greatest power within the Western CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) - After keynote speaker. He spoke slowly in countries." four years of exile in the West, Soviet Russian while an interpreter translated author Alexander Solzhenitsyn said for the 4,474 degree recipients and HE CRITICIZED American with- yesterday he has concluded that alumni, faculty and guests who made drawal from Vietnam, saying, "Your Western society is suffering "spiritual up the crowd of 18,000 that gathered in shortsighted politicians who signed the fo tasfing Rusi t mdHarvard Yard. hasty Vietnam capitulation seemingly for transforming Russia. "No, I could not recommend your gave America a carefree breathing The outspoken dissident's sometimes society in its present state as an ideal pause. However, a hundredfold Viet- stinging criticism of American life met for the transformation of ours. Through nam now looms over you. subdued applause and occasional hisses intense suffering, our country has now "That small Vietnam had been a from the rai-soaked thousands who achieved a spiritual development of warning and an occasion to mobilize the gathered to hear him at Harvard such intensity that the Western system nation's courage. But if a full-fledged University's 327th commencement. in its present state of spiritual America suffered a real defeat from a So henityn said the West is exhaustion does not look attractive," he small communist half-country, how can weakening while the East is growing said. the West hope to stand firm in the stronger. "A FACT WHICH cannot be disputed future? is the weakening of human beings in the "There have been naive predictions "SHOULD SOMEONE ask me West while in the East they are by some American experts who ihether I would indicate the West, such becoming firmer and stronger." believed that Angola would become the as it is today, as a model for my coun- Solzhenitsyn was sharply critical of Soviet Union's Vietnam or that Cuban try, frankly I would have to answer Western leadership, the zealousness of expeditions in Africa would best be negatively," the Nobel Prize-winning human rights advocates and /of the stopped by special U.S. courtesy to writer said in a rare public appearance. e5 n ifsn press which he said "has become the Cuba." 1Our PREPARE FOR: ea MCAT - DAT - LSAT- GRE GMAT - OCAT - VAT -SAT NMB ,1, 111 ECFMG -FLEX*VQE NAT'L DENTAL BOARDS NURSING BOARDS Flexible Programs & Hours There ISa dEfferenceT PYKAPIN EDUCATIONAL CENTER Test Preparation Specialists Since 1938 For Information Please Call: (313) 662-3149 For Locations In Other Cities, Call: TOLL FREE:800-223-1782 Centres n Maor US Cies loronto Puerto Rico and Lugano. switterlan! Study says patients don't sue SANTA MONICA, Calif. (AP) - Many more patients are injured by negligent doctors than ever file medical malpractice claims, despite complaints by physicians that such claims are ex- cessive, says a study released today. The Rand Corp. report also says "a clear subgroup of physicians" is repeatedly careless and accounts for the bulk of the claims. "Many more incidents of malpractice occur, it appears, than result in a claim for damages," said the study. "At most only one out of every six or seven in- cidents can be expected to result in a claim." THE STUDY was co-authored by Dr. William Schwartz, a Tufts University professor of medicine who says he is bracing himself for reaction from fellow physicians. "I am not looking forward to the possible wrath of some of my colleagues. This report challenges the conventional views and that is always- painful. That always stirs up a reac- tion," Schwartz said in a telephone in- terview from Boston. The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, rejects most arguments used by physicians against the malpractice system. The study said that despite oc- casional million-dollar settlements, the average malpractice award during 1974 did not even cover the patient's losses in medical expenses and lost earnings. IT ALSO challenged the argument "that 'good' physicians are sued as of- ten as the 'bad.' " The report said a four-year study of 8,000 Los Angeles-area doctors showed that fewer than 1 percent of them "ac- counted for 10 percent of all claims and 30 percent of all payments made by the malpractice insurance plan." "There seems to be a clear subgroup of physicians who are repeatedly negligent." Schwartz said. "A very small percentage of doctors were responsible for a disproportionate number of claims." THE REPORT suggests that a primary rule of malpractice -claims is to deter future negligence. But, it said, "the signal to the physician, as deter- mined by the number of claims and size of awards, appears to be insufficient for ideal deterrence." Schwartz said the signal is weakened because most victims of malpractice do not go to court. "It may not be clear to the patient that a bad outcome was due to the doc- tor," he said. "But also, many patients are reluctant to sue their doctor because he's been kind to them during their illness. And then, of course, suing is just a very unpleasant activity." The study said the warning is further diluted by the existing system of malpractice insurance, under which the cost of malpractice judgments is spread among all doctors through higher premiums. 'FIFTH FORUM Don't Miss This Unique Opportunity .... We're Offering Our Recently Acquired Yarn, Macrame & Craft Stock at off Liquidation Sale Ann Arbor Plymouth Mall Store Only PI YMIM aIllMANI Plymouth Road, Mile West of U.S. 23 All stores OPEN SUN. 12-5 'Y y vrsI STARTS TODAY! 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