Lauren's Blog

Ongoing Problem – More Segment Links

laurenharwin — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 20:49:02 +0000

There are so many segments that may shock and horrify many of you that I have not included here but here are a few links.

www.youtube.com – search SA Doctors Strike, SA hospitals, etc.

www.carteblance.co.za – search Dora Nginza

The cause of this uproar has been a long time coming and yet the problem still persists.

It is ethically incorrect to allow the people of our country to work or be treated in institutions that cannot adequately care for them.

Staff shortages, Equipment shortages, Damaged/insufficiently working equipment…..

The list goes on.

It is not ‘right’ to put anyone in a situation where they may feel helpless, in the doctors case, or hopeless, in many of the patients’ cases.

When will this come to an end?

When will we as South Africans stand together to have something done and help those who are helping us…

Saving Soweto

laurenharwin — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 19:50:50 +0000

These segments changed my outlook of my topic and evolved into something so much more. It made me realise how much more there is to ethics than we actually bring ourselves to believe and how badly the system is affected in South Africa.

Saving Soweto – From the cradle to the grave

laurenharwin — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 16:31:57 +0000

Doctors Blog

laurenharwin — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 20:44:42 +0000

This blog shows the strike from a doctors point of view, many of whom went into work early to attend to patients before returning to the streets. Ethically right? You decide. Personally I see this as the last resort to fix something that’s been broken for way too long. Ethically these doctors need to attend to patients as they have the right to health care as stated in the National Patients Rights Charter.

http://www.wonkie.com/2009/06/22/doctors-strike-sa-public-healthcare/

Newspaper Articles

laurenharwin — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 20:43:41 +0000

Most of these articles go on to talk about the money involved in this issue and how doctors are demanding a pay increase due to their working conditions, but it clearly gets spun all about the money and is that really what its all about?

Knee Jerk Reaction to Doctors

Striking doctors reject pay offer

Doctors go back to work

Strike the only cure for health system

Medics want service accord

Doctors Strike (Carte Blanche)

laurenharwin — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 20:40:34 +0000

The night I saw this segment on Carte Blanche was the instant I knew this would be my topic. There are so many underlying issues about ethics when it comes to a situation like this. Is it ethical for doctors to leave patients needing medical attention unattended and what about the state of our governmental hospitals? Is it ethical to allow many of our country’s people into hospitals seeking adequate medical attention where the doctors are often unable to give this due to the staff and equipment shortages or just a general state of bad disrepair?

Read a transcript of the Carte Blanche ‘Doctors Strike I’ here:

http://beta.mnet.co.za/carteblanche/article.aspx?Id=3708

Read a transcript of the Carte Blanche ‘Doctors Strike II’ here:

http://beta.mnet.co.za/carteblanche/article.aspx?Id=3713

Introduction to My Topic

laurenharwin — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 20:38:05 +0000

“The Doctors Strike”

I chose this as my topic as it addresses/includes all three entities identified earlier, namely health and human rights in a South African context. It is also a current issue and therefore most people will have heard at least a little about it.

This topic of “The Doctors Strike” can be seen from two very different perspectives. One of greediness of these professionals in search of more money, or the other view would be the actual fear for those individuals needing treatment or attention from these professionals and are receiving it inadequately due to the poor facilities and structure of the South African health care system.

‘House’

laurenharwin — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 20:35:22 +0000

To put things in a slightly more understandable manner, everyone knows ‘House’. In this show the doctors, more specifically Doctor Gregory House, go through many ethical dilemmas, with regard to treatments and interventions. In this show (Season 2, Episode 6) ethics is a focus point in the first few minutes, but this can be seen throughout the show.

A link to this episode will be included here as soon as I get it.

National Patients Rights Charter

laurenharwin — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 20:33:27 +0000

This charter includes the rights that every patient has with regards to health care. The section I have highlighted specifically addresses the access to health care for all patients and the rights they have in this regard. I included this piece to show the laws in place with the hope of further understanding what is ethically right.

Download the full document here:National Patients Rights Charter

What is/are Ethics?

laurenharwin — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 20:27:12 +0000

“The dictionary defines ethics as:

The study of standards of conduct and moral judgement; moral philosophy

A treatise on this study

The system or code of morals of a particular person, religion, group, profession

According to this definition, ethics can be one of two things. It can be something that you study and think about, or it can be a code that you follow and live by.

Knowing that the definition of ethics is a code of morals does not really help to define what is ethical. The moral code itself has to provide that definition. Therefore the question of defining ethics becomes linked with the question of defining morals.”

[http://www.yourdictionary.com/ethics]

“The dictionary defines morals as:

Relating to, dealing with, or capable of making the distinction between right and

wrong in conduct.

Relating to, serving to teach, or in accordance with the principles of right and

wrong.

Good or right in conduct or character; sometimes, specific, virtuous in sexual

conduct.

Designating support that involves approval and sympathy without action.

Being virtually such because of its effect on thoughts and attitudes, or because

of its general results; a moral victory.

Based on strong probability; a moral certainty.

Based on the principle of right conduct rather than legality; a moral obligation.

Law based on general observation of people rather than on demonstration; moral

evidence.

Thus it would seem that the definition of ethics is a code determined by that which is ‘right’ and ‘wrong’. Unfortunately that leads us to more questions about what is defined as ‘right’ and what is ‘wrong’. As you can see, we can go in circles all day trying to find a clear definition of ethics in the dictionary and we will just keep finding more words that we need to define.”

[http://www.yourdictionary.com/ethics]