Health Ethics

Quiz

• Euthanasia in One word ?

• How many types of Euthanasia are there?

• Veracity in one word?

• What do understand by term Non-Maleficence?

• Susuruta Samhita is mend for ??

• Who was Hippocrates? And what contribution did he gave to the field of medicine?

• Component of medical ethics

Health Policy & health Care

Objective

• Right to Health The human rights at issue Issues related to the right to health • Distributive Justice of health care Principles of distributive justice Ethical problems Measures to safeguard • Health policy • Objectives & the factors to be considered • Issues

Right to Health

• Article 35 of Universal Declaration of Human rights states, “Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well being of himself and his family , including food, clothing and housing and medical care and necessary social services.”

Reference : http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/

• In 1946 The WHO declared that the “Enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health as one of the fundamental rights of every human being without deicrimination of race, religion , political belief, economic and social condition.

The human rights at issue:

• The rights to equitable distribution of food.

• The human rights for access to safe drinking water & sanitation.

• The human rights to be an adequate standard of living & adequate housing.

• The human rights to a safe & healthy environment.

• The human rights to a safer & healthy workplace.

Issues related to the right to health

• Cost of medical treatment

• Lack of awareness of health education and distributive justice

• Standard of living of the society

• Unequal resource distribution

• Lack of awareness about various health policy

Distributive Justice of health care

What is distributive justice?

The four main principles of medical ethics are respect for autonomy, beneficence, non- maleficence and justice. Obligations of justice may be further subdivided into:

1. Distributive justice - the fair distribution of healthcare resources (which may be scarce)

2. Rights-based justice - the respect for people's rights

3. Legal justice - the respect for morally acceptable laws.

Principles of distributive Justice

– to each person an equal share

– to each person according to need

– to each person according to effort

– to each person according to contribution

– to each person according to merit

Ethical Problems arises when

• Distribution of health care services is unsatisfactory

• Disparity between group of people and between religions.

• Allocation of the resources to the healthcare facility is insufficient

• No fair distribution or inequality in allocation of the resources.

• Poverty – greatest threat to health • Socio- economic conditions to the society.

A set of decision or commitment to persue course of action aimed at achieving defined goal of improving health.

Objectives

• to achieve an acceptance standard of good health amongst general population of the country.

• More equitable access to health service.

• to increase public health investment

• emphasis laid on rational use of drug within the allopathic system.

The policy introduces with an aim of :

• elimination of poverty

• raising the level of nutrition, ignorance and ill health

• improvement of public health

• securing the health care strength of workers , men and women especially insuring that children's are given opportunities and facilities to develop in healthy manner.

Factors need to be considered while making Health policy

• Medical & Health care Indicators • Availability of medical and health intervention

for the individual and society • Patients and doctors preferences • Improvement of the quality of life of the

individual and the society • Values held by society such as justice • Cost of healthcare for the individual and the

society • Overall good of the society.

Scope of health Policy

• Caring

• Promotion of health care by imoroving the life style

• Prevention of the disease – better water supply sanitation, immunization

• Primary and emergency care

• Prevention of environmental pollution.