Category: Letters
Disability-selective abortion: denying human rights to make a…
This is with reference to the article on the impact of UNCRPD on the status of persons with disabilities by Smitha Nizar. I appreciate the author's take on the controversial issue of disability-selective abortions. The article discusses the ethical dilemmas of using medical technologies to termin...
Surreptitious use of disulfiram
Disulfiram is one of the most important drugs used in the management of alcohol use disorders . It is of significance as a treatment modality especially in low and middle income countries like India, as it is a cheaper pharmacological option compared to other medications like naltrexone and acamp...
What’s in a name? Anomalies in medical degrees
Of the many medical degrees available in our country, this letter focuses on the anomaly in two medical degrees (MD/DM), both of which expand into Doctor of Medicine, according to the Medical Council of India(MCI). The MCI offers DM/MCh and the National Board of Examinations offers DNB (super-spe...
Ethical aspects of operating on seropositive patients
Infection with blood-borne pathogens has long been recognised as an occupational risk for healthcare workers (HCWs), particularly surgeons and anaesthetists whose work often involves breaching the cutaneous or mucosal barrier, exposing them to blood and other body fluids and putting them at risk ...
Pathologising alternate sexuality: shifting psychiatric practices and a…
Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, criminalising consensual sexual activity between adults of the same sex, was framed during the British Raj and continued to govern Indian sexual relations until very recently. This law seems to reflect societal attitudes towards alternate sexualities. Such at...
Critical perspectives on the NIMH initiative “Grand Challenges…
In July 2011 Nature carried a Comment titled "Grand Challenges to Global Mental Health"announcing research priorities to benefit people with mental illness around the world. The essay called for urgent action and investment. However, many professionals, academics, and service user advocate organi...
Psychiatric advance directives: cultural reflections
The article by Sarin et alon the subject of psychiatric advance directives (PADs) raises new problems which are particularly challenging in the Indian context. The debate so far has focused on issues of competence, access, resources and legal dilemmas. What is missing is a discussion on the cultu...
Medical humanities: addition to academic burden
I read with interest the articles in the latest issue of IJME. Most seem to advocate that teaching humanities to medical students would make them more humane and concerned doctors and would develop empathy towards their patients in their future careers as practising doctors.
Ethics of pandemic planning in India
Devnani et al discuss various ethical dimensions of the public health measures to be taken when planning for an influenza pandemic. In a developing country like India which is diverse, multicultural, over populated and undergoing rapid but unequal growth, ethical pandemic planning must address ex...
Problems of isolated private hospitals in a rural…
In the era of the Consumer Protection Act, doctors running small private hospitals in rural settings face unique ethical challenges, especially in acute medical emergencies. I would like to share a few such cases
Previous 1  ... 13  14  15  16  17  ... 28  Next


Help IJME keep its content free. You can support us from as little as Rs. 500 Make a Donation