Hospitals are content to bar families from visiting their loved ones. With COVID-19 easily transmissible, this persistent reason by hospital administrators to exempt visitation allows medical care rendered not to be publicly scrutinized.

No doubt, everyone is traveling an unfamiliar road, developing processes and procedures to follow during this pandemic. Some hospitals have a history of creating well-thought-out protective policies, while others don’t. Flaws, when noticed, can be corrected.

But some hospitals fear criticism and lawsuits. Plus, nurse and doctor whistleblowers are marginalized (by dangling contracts), fired, or removed from staff if they raise their voice.

PPEs are used by healthcare personnel to protect themselves and the patient. Why wouldn’t a family member be just as protected if taught the correct way to utilize PPEs?

The door has been closed long enough on visiting family members. There is no excuse not to open those doors, unless hospital administrators possibly want to hide malfeasance.

In the beginning of this pandemic, restriction may have been a well-thought-out policy.

But patients will undoubtedly do much better with family members at their bedside.

Gene Uzawa Dorio, M.D., is a geriatric house-call physician who serves as president of the Los Angeles County Commission for Older Adults and Assemblyman to the California Senior Legislature. He has practiced in the Santa Clarita Valley for 32 years.