IMA calls for redefiningmedical ethics in country

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Wants medical ethics to be part of entire curriculum

It is high time that medical ethics was redefined in the country, Ravi Wankhedkar, president of Indian Medical Association, has said.

The health sector in the State has been facing several issues and the relationship between doctors and patents is at an all-time low. This situation needs to change, he said, while addressing delegates at an international seminar on ‘Redefining ethics in the context of clinical practice in India,’ being organised by the IMA here on Saturday.

At present medical ethics do not constitute more than three or four hours of study in the Indian medical education curriculum.

But medical ethics should be part of the entire curriculum of medical students so that they are familiarised with the role of ethics in the changing scenario of clinical practice, Dr. Wankhedkar, said.

IMA will appeal to UNESCO for redefining medical ethics and including it in the medical curriculum, he said.

Though the invasion of technology and advances in modern medicine has led to sea changes in the way patients are treated today, the guidelines regarding medical ethics have never been changed.

Doctors and hospitals have been brought within the ambit of the Consumer Protection Law and yet, the debate on whether a patient is a consumer or just service recipient continues.

Also, doctors now have to deal with newer interpretation of medical ethics when it comes to issues like organ donation and euthanasia.

Today, medical technology has grown so much that rather than surgeons, robots are operating on people.

In this emerging scenario, it was imperative that medical ethics was redefined, with newer guidelines, speakers at the seminar opined.

The seminar was inaugurated by Delhi High Court judge S. Ravindra Bhat.

UNESCO Asia-Pacific chief Russel Franco Dsouza, IMA general secretary R. N. Tandon, and State IMA leaders were present on the occasion.

Over 600 delegates are participating in the seminar, which ends on Sunday with the release of a handbook on redefining medical ethics, which will include all the major views presented at the two-day discussions.

Printable version | Jun 3, 2018 12:01:45 AM | http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Thiruvananthapuram/ima-calls-for-redefiningmedical-ethics-in-country/article24069431.ece