Health Care Business

Ms. Z is a respiratory therapy technician in a small municipality in COD. The municipality has a
small hospital and a medical supply company. Ms. Z is locally known as an entrepreneur. She is
both the head of the hospital respiratory care department and the owner of the medical supply
company. Most of the referrals from the hospital goes to her medical supply business.

Do you find any ethical issue/s in this case? Explain your position on this matter.

I do believe there are some ethical issues in this case considering Ms. Z is both a respiratory
therapy technician and an entrepreneur. This causes a conflict of interest on her part because
Ms. Z's dual roles. As the head of the hospital respiratory care department, her primary
responsibility should be to ensure the best possible care for patients. However, as the owner of
the medical supply company, she may have a financial interest in promoting the use of certain
medical supplies or services, potentially compromising her objectivity and the best interests of
patients. Second, let us not forget the fact that most referrals from the hospital go to Ms. Z's
medical supply business raises concerns about fair competition and potential self-dealing. It
suggests preferential treatment or biased referral practices that may not be in the best interest
of patients or the healthcare system as a whole. Furthermore, The ownership of the medical
supply company by Ms. Z creates a situation where she could personally benefit financially from
the referrals made from the hospital. This raises questions about the motivations behind her
decisions and the potential prioritization of personal financial gain over patient welfare. Ladtly,
we can also question the trust and transparency that Ms. Z may or may not be tainting. The
presence of these conflicts of interest can erode trust in the healthcare system. Patients,
healthcare professionals, and the community may question the integrity and fairness of
decision-making processes, leading to a loss of trust in the healthcare provided by the hospital.
Hence, I do think that Ms. Z’s case needs to be re-evaluated by the health committee and BIR
regarding possible exploitations she may or may not be doing to further boost her business.