Healthcare Ethics: Analysis of a Discrimination Case Study

This essay delves into the ethical dimensions of a healthcare case involving discrimination against a student, Amos, who was denied medical care due to not being a boarding student, leading to his tragic death from Cholera. The essay explores the ethical issues raised, focusing on the hospital's refusal to provide services and the violation of patient rights. It examines the professional ethics of healthcare providers, the importance of equal treatment, and the responsibilities of both hospital and school authorities. The analysis highlights the conflict between human rights and professional ethics, emphasizing the need for adherence to ethical codes and healthcare policies. The essay also discusses the legal implications of discrimination and the importance of healthcare professionals being aware of their responsibilities and ethical codes, as well as the need for patients to understand their rights.

Running head: HEALTH CARE ETHICS
Health care ethics
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author note

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Table of contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................2
Discussion..................................................................................................................................2
Conclusion..................................................................................................................................5
Reference list..............................................................................................................................7

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Introduction
The tern ethical issue is a situation which requires an organization or a person for
choosing between alternatives, which must be evaluated as wrong or right (Hall et al., 2018).
In the current scenario, ethical issues have become a common problem in every organization.
From the given case study, case study one has been chosen for analysing the ethical issue. In
this case study, a student named Amos who lived in a residential property away from school
has faced discriminating situation in the hospital due to not being a boarding student. In this
study, it has been shown how the hospital authority has refused to provide the service to a
Cholera patient. In this essay, this has also been mentioned how the ethical issue raised by the
organization.
Discussion
From the case study, it has been identified that Amos is a school student who lived in
the residential property, which is far from the school. During his period, many of the students
of the same school were suffering from abdominal pain, vomiting, irritability, restlessness
and profuse watery diarrhoea. It was clear that the students were suffering from Cholera. The
students, who were in serious condition were admitted to the hospital. The ethical issue
occurred when due to lack of expertise the hospital authority had refused to admit the student
who is not from boarding. Due to this types of discrimination of hospital authority towards
the patients, Amos was not being admitted to the hospital. As its result, due to lack of medical
attention, Amos died.
In this situation, the main question, which has aroused towards the hospital authority
is about their professional ethics. As stated by Drummond et al., (2015), this kind of unfair
situation in the medical organization can bring the huge loss for the suffering one. Lack of
integrity, carelessness about own responsibilities and organizational problems are the main

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reason behind this. If the service providing authority were serious about the consequences of
this situation, the family members of Amos would not face this kind of situation. This was the
shameful step taken by the hospital authority. This is the duty of medical experts to provide
their service to the patient without discriminating. As per the health care ethics, the medical
procedure is needed to be done by the experts in order to save the life of a person (Austin,
2017). On the other hand, the study has also highlighted that Amos was argued with the
hospital authority for this kind of discrimination. Just because of Amos was not taking
boarding facilities, the hospital refused to admit Amos. In this situation, this is also the
responsibility of the school authority to treat all the students equally. If the school authority
took the initiative for providing proper medical treatment to every student equally, the
hospital authority would not be able to do such kind of shameless activities.
After analysing the study, this can be said that the hospital authority should be
prepared for facing all the consequences which had done by them. As per the medical ethics,
the cooperation value and collaborative work are needed to be promoted in the field (Stoddart
& Evans, 2017). By maintaining the ethical standard, this can be said that the people who
have taken the responsibility to save other life, should be fair towards providing the medical
facility (Claire, 2017). This is their responsibility to give the value to human rights, social
responsibility and patients' safety. This is also included in the professional code that if the
doctor refuses to provide service to the patient, it would be considered as the anti-law
activities.
If the human right in health care is being analysed, it will be identified that people
have the right to get the highest attention regarding the mental and physical health issue
(Betancourt et al., 2016). All the medical services, adequate food, healthy working situation,
clean environment as well as sanitation are included in the basic human right. As per the
Human right regulation, the system of health protection should be provided to everyone

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equally. Therefore, this can be said that everyone has right to demand the health care they
need. As the healthcare service was being introduced in the case of providing medical
treatment by the government both financially and physically. As per the human right to health
care, the clinics, doctors, medicine and hospitals should be available and accessible for
everyone (Dimick & Ryan, 2014). Therefore, this can be said that as per human right to
health care the person who needs medical check-up should be attended positively by the
authority who is in charge. From the case study it can be said that in order to hide own
failure, the hospital authority has refused to admit a child, who was suffering from Cholera.
In such situation, the Human right to health care has not followed by the authority. Not only
the human right but also the medical experts have not even followed the professional ethics.
Due to lack of attention, the child named Amos died. In this situation, the ethical issue
occurred, which has created by the hospital authority. If the medical service providing
authority did not refuse to provide their service to Amos, the child would not die due to lack
of medical attention. Therefore, this can be said that this situation has aroused a big question
regarding the relationship between human right and professional ethics. This can be said in
this study that if ethics have been followed by the authority, this situation would be avoided.
On the other hand, if the health care principles are being followed, it will be
identified that the International Committee of Military Medicine, World Medical
Association and World Medical Association has introduced the health care code
(Betancourt, et al., 2016). As per the code, in the case of the emergency situation of health–
care, the workers are often forced to act against health-care ethics. Sometimes, the victims are being
pressurised to leave their right to health care, for maintaining the ethical principles of their profession
by the workers (Donnelly & Whelan, 2018). Different types of discrimination, abuse of human
rights, torture and confidentiality, are the basic problems in every healthcare organization. In order to
deal with the situations, Healthcare policies have been introduced. In this case, the study has also

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highlighted the health care policies on behalf of the medical workers. In the emergency situation, in
the case of maintaining ethical principles, the authority is more responsible if any disappointing
consequences occur in the healthcare. Another way Drummond et al., (2015) stated that military
and civilian health is very important in the case of providing the safety, the medical workers should
always be prepared. By supporting this Dittmer (2017) opined that the health care ethics had been
introduced for protecting patients and health professionals. It has also been mentioned in this study
that delivering the healthcare service to the victims without discriminating, has become a complex
challenge in the modern ethical issues in the modern healthcare providing system. However, in this
case, the victim was truly needed the medical service from the authority, which has been refused by
them. In this situation, this can be said that different legal can be taken by the family members against
the hospital authority as they did not admit Amos in the critical situation. After analysing the entire
situation, ethics can be said that in the current scenario, due to lack of maintaining the health ethics,
this kind of situation occurs. In order to deal with this situations, the responsible authority should be
more careful (Berwick, 2016).
Conclusion
In the above study it has been identified that in order to hide the internal problems, the
hospital authority has refused to admit Amos who was suffering from Cholera. In this study, this can
be said the Human right to heal care has not been followed by the Hospital Authority. This has created
the ethical issue in the organization. By not admitting the patient who was suffering from Cholera, the
medical professionals have also not done justice with their professional ethics. As per the medical
ethics, every patient should be treated equally without discriminating. However, due to discrimination
among the boarding students and Amos, Amos lost his life. In this study, it has been suggested that in
order to deal with the situations, the medical professional should be aware of their responsibilities and
ethical codes. On the other hand, the patients should also be aware of the healthcare right. If the
people are aware of their rights, they can fight for this. It has also been suggested in this study that
any discrimination in the medical field, is being considered as the crime. Therefore, the patient parties
can take the legal step against the heal care providing organization. Another way, if the government

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will focus on providing sufficient medical professionals in the heal care organizations, this will help
those hospitals to provide efficient service. Proper training can also develop the knowledge of
professional ethics among the health professionals so that no more Amos will die due to lack of
treatment.

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Reference list
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