Increasing awareness about bioethics

As new dilemmas emerge in the field of bioethics, it becomes imperative to look at how to increase awareness about bioethics in the medical profession. As a first step, bioethics can be made a part of the MBBS curriculum. This will provide a framework that can be built upon later. An obstacle in the spread of bioethics education is the lack of a chair in medical colleges. If such a post is instituted, it will help in establishing a foundational curriculum as well as create teachers who are well versed in the issues.

Programmes such as the recent First National Bioethics Conference in Mumbai contribute to making professionals aware about the field, helps them discuss the dilemmas faced by other physicians and the strategies used to solve the issues. Brainstorming sessions in such seminars as well as the use of online message boards for dissemination of information about bioethics information are important avenues.

Bioethics should be extended to become a truly inter-sectoral issue. Physicians must evolve clear-cut bioethics guidelines, which are in consonance with the cultural context of India. In the absence of a self-evolved code, legislation may step in and this might affect the sanctity of the doctor-patient relationship. The code of bioethics must be prominently displayed in every clinic, hospital and laboratory. This will help to remind physicians of their duties and it will also inform patients.