Commemorates ‘Global Ethics Day’
Dr Reeha Mahajan
Every now and then, we encounter some or the other moral dilemma in our life, where we are unable to decide, what is right and wrong. But in such situations, we need to make a rational decision, as indecisiveness would mean avoiding responsibility and it would be morally wrong.
Cutting down a tree may be a simple thing to do, but when we think of trees as part of our ecosystem, that keeps humans alive by providing oxygenated air, our mind changes. Similarly, issues such as, abortion, euthanasia, human cloning and genetic engineering have challenged the existing beliefs of mankind. What is the solution to such dilemmas?
Here comes the role of ethics. The word “Ethics” is derived from the Greek word, “ethos” which means character, morality, habit and custom. “Ethics for life” is a code of conduct followed by all rational beings in relation to other rational beings, non-rational beings and environment, which is recognized in a particular group or culture. Ethics are the moral principles that guide people’s behaviour and actions and are based on the concept of fairness and justice.
As Theodore Roosevelt said, knowing what’s right doesn’t mean much unless you do what’s right.
Ethical Conduct is not only important for personal relationships and workplace, but for society at large. People who choose to practice ethical behaviour, are likely to build healthy relationships based on mutual respect, trust, and honesty. They are also more empathetic and care about other’s feelings.
The organizations like AIIMS Jammu, that give emphasis to ethical conduct are more likely to gain the trust and loyalty of stakeholders, employees and the communities. Being transparent and ethical, attracts partners and employees who value integrity and honesty. The organizations following ethical guidelines are less likely to face litigations and reputational risks. The employee feels a sense of pride in being part of such organizations. The healthcare workers must be sensitive to the ethical requirements of their jobs as ethical professionals are always better professionals. Thwarting ethical problems can reduce complaints and lawsuits and improve patient’s experience and management.
Being ethical, leads to feeling good and creating credibility whereas, being unethical has many negative consequences like distrust, corruption, crimes, nepotism, etc.
There are chances of imbalance in the society; if all its members do not practice values and ethics, leading to wastage of resources, corruption, breakdown of families, infringement of law and order, alcohol and drug abuse, crime, abuse of women and children as well as other vulnerable members of the society.
There are certain moral values which can act as an “Ethical Compass” to give directions to us, for making ethically correct decisions in our lives. Ethics for life often involve a complex psychological process that works beyond the level of consciousness. It is imperative for each one of us to possess a set of principles, such as, trustworthiness, loyalty, respect for work and people, discipline, courtesy, politeness, punctuality, judicious use of resources, fairness, integrity, dignity of labour, tolerance, accountability, empathy and positive attitude in life, in order to maintain conducive atmosphere at workplace, as well as the personal front.
Medical ethics describes the moral principles by which medical professionals must conduct themselves
The four pillars of medical ethics are:
- Beneficence (doing good)
- Non-maleficence (to do no harm)
- Autonomy (giving the patient the freedom to choose freely, where they are able)
- Justice (ensuring fairness)
Respect for Autonomy forms a cornerstone of modern medical ethics. The ethos of the clinician is ingrained in the benevolent desire to assist people in medical need by being fair, just and reasonable.
The medical professionals come across multiple ethical problems throughout their clinical practice, where they haveto take into consideration: - Patient’s wishes/ refusal of treatment
- Patient’s questionable capacity to consent to or refuse treatment
- Disagreement involving relatives/ caregivers
- End of life (advance directive for DNAR (do not attempt resuscitation/ withhold treatment)
- Confidentiality/ disclosure
- Informed consent and best interest cases
Every project or protocol is plagued with ethical boils. Doctors cannot be held liable in negligence unless: - They have a duty of care to the patient
- They have breached that duty
- The breach caused or materially contributed to the patient injury
Medical Ethics is not an abstract buzzword but that it lies at the heart of quality patient care. The doctors have a statutory duty of candour.
Medicine in the 21st century is morally more complex than it ever has been. In the realm of ethics, we focus on moral vision or moral perception. The morally blind person fails to see the ethically problematic nature of a situation. Improving moral vision should be the first step in the teaching of ethics in medicine. Reflection is the stage which allows half-perceived problems to be fully seen. Moral courage is when we act with confidence that something is morally right, even though we believe that something of personal value may be lost.
The four quadrants which need to be explored to arrive at an ethically correct decision for patient treatment and care are: - Medical indications
- Patient preferences
- Quality of life
- Contextual features- legal, cultural, familial, religious, economic and other factors.
Clinicians have an ethical responsibility of not performing any intervention which is futile, harmful, wasteful and depriving others of benefit. The medical professionals should appreciate patient’s experiential and critical interests and learn to put themselves in patient’s shoes.
AIIMS Jammu is already geared up to carry forward the legacy of All India Institute of Medical Sciences, as the out-patient and in-patient departments have already started functioning. Each evolving institution has to face various teething problems and challenges. It is certain that these difficult situations would be easily handled by following the ethical principles which are taught and promoted at our institute.
(The author is Associate Professor in the Department of Anatomy, AIIMS Jammu).
