LEVY MWANAWASA MEDICAL UNIVERSITY

SCHOOL: INSTITUTE OF BASIC AND BIOMEDICAL SCIENCE

NAME: CHULU MAXWELL

ID NUMBER: 220400324

LECTURE NAME: MR. M PETER

ASSIGNMENT: 1 (ONE)

PROGRAMME: BSc PHYSIOTHERAPY

QUESTION:

Using any of the ethical theories and principals of medical ethics answer the following question;

 Was it the correct decision to resuscitate Ayesha at birth?

 Does Ayesha have a right to life? Explain in details
 When parents’ views conflict with doctors’, who decides what treatment is given to a neonate?
Explain
 What impact do parents’ religious beliefs have?
 Does the financial cost of continuing intensive care make any difference to what should be
done?
INTRODUCTION

The principle of medical ethics serves as the foundational guide on which polrofessional code conduct
and ethical decision making are built. These ethical tenets emphasize maintaining professional integrity
and the primary focus on the patient’s well being. As the world of medicine continually evolves,
adhering to ethical standards becomes evermore crucial to ensure that healthcare professionals fulfill
their duties appropriately. In general, there are four (4) core principles that shape medical ethics and
these are, Beneficince, Non-maleficince, Autonomy and Justice. Therefore, medical ethics are a set of
moral values that guide the decision-making of health care professionals in their daily practice.
Beneficince (to do good) this principle obligates healthcare professionals to act in the patient’s best
interest, promoting their welfare while avoiding harm. This principle often requires balancing various
factors and may present challenges in specific cases, such as when treating terminally ill patients. Non-
maleficince (to do no harm) is closely related to the notion of Beneficince. In medical practice, it
stipulates that healthcare professionals should refrain from causing harm to their patients, whether
intentionally or unintentionally. This principle highlights the importance of exercising caution and
reasoning when choosing the best course of action in a particular situation. Autonomy, in healthcare,
respecting a patient’s autonomy means recognizing an individual’s right to make informed decisions
about their medical care and treatment. Health professionals must present all the relevant information,
including the risks and benefits, to ensure patients understand their opinions and can make informed
decisions. Justice is the principle which ensures or emphasizes fairness and equitable distribution of
healthcare resources. This principle incorporates societal values into medical ethics and ensures that
medical professionals treat all patients with equal respect, regardless of factors such as age, gender,
race and socio-economic status.

QUESTION 1:

In the case of Ayesha who was born at 25 weeks following a normal birth which wasn’t normal.
Babies born this early can be very sick because their lungs are small and immature, therefore, Ayesha
wasn’t able to get enough oxygen because of this. The medical team had to consider the idea of action
first and regret later. I this situation they had to do their duty (deontology known as a “duty based
ethic”) which was to resuscitate Ayesha and this was the correct thing to do in this situation. According
to the principle of Beneficince as a medical personnel you are obligated to do good to patients. Dispite
Beneficince being the principle applying to this situation it would have conflicted with the parents
decision but the parents decision was also to save the life of Ayesha too.

QUESTION 2:

Yes Ayesha does have the right to life because the right to life is an inherent right from birth for
each and every perso. From his or her birth, the individual is considered a living being to be protected. In
effect, the character implies that the dignity of the person must be protected, something which
proceeds, above all, from the protection of one’s right to live. Thus, from birth, all children have the
right to have their life protected. According to the principle of Non-maleficince ( to do no harm) which is
closely related to the notion of Beneficince. In medical practice, it stipulates that healthcare
professionals should refrain from causing harm to their patients, whether intentionally or
unintentionally. Therefore, this principle highlights the importance of exercising caution and reasoning
when choosing the best course of action in a particular situation.

QUESTION 3:

The presumption is that the parent are the one’s with the authority to make treatment decisions for a
child when the child does not have the capacity to do so (autonomy of the patient is compressed). In the
case of Ayesha she wasn’t able to exercise her right for autonomy but instead her parents had to step up
and make the informed decision. And according to the principle of autonomy, In healthcare, respecting a
patient’s autonomy means recognizing an individual’s right to make informed decisions about their
medical care and treatment. Healthcare professionals must also present all the relevant information,
including the risks and benefits, to ensure patients understand their opinions and can make informed
decisions.

QUESTION 4:

Religious parents tend into prolonging the suffering of their children in this cases of praying and
believing into a miracle. These situation have negative impact on the children causing the child who can
not speak for themselves to endure pain. In some cases some parents tend not to take there children for
treatment but rather choose to believe in spiritual healing which just causes more suffering to the
children who can take action for themselves.

QUESTION 5:

The financial cost of the continuing the intensive care doesn’t make any difference to wat must be
done because looking at Ayesha’s situation it wasn’t promising whether she would fight through and
prolonging her life will only bring her more suffering to perform invasive and painful procedures. And
the medical team feels it is wrong in doing so knowing how her brain is severally damaged.

In conclusion, the principle’s of medical ethics , Beneficince, Non-maleficince, Autonomy and Justice,
they provide the essential framework for ethical practice in healthcare. These fundamental principles
have evolved over time and medical professionals must continuously engage in open dialogue and
reflection to address any challenges arise in their application. By adhering to thses ethical principles,
healthcare professionals can strive to deliver care with integrity, ensuring that they promote their
patients best interest and overall well-being.
REFERENCE

• Beauchamp, J. (2013). “Principles of Biomedical Ethics”.

• Riddick, Frank (Spring 2003). “The Code of Medical Ethics of the American Medical Association”.
The ochsner Journal. 5(2): 6-10.
• Weise, Mary (2016). “Medical Ethics made Easy”. Professional Case Management. 21(2): 88-94.