Medicolegal
Update
(Dr Sudhir Gupta, Additional Prof, Forensic Medicine & Toxicology, AIIMS)
(Dr Sudhir Gupta, Additional Prof, Forensic Medicine & Toxicology, AIIMS)
Such difficult ethical situations in
medical practice and the guidelines to deal with them have been addressed
thoroughly in the revised WMA Declaration of Malta on hunger strikers with
principles of Duty to act ethically, in 2006. All physicians are bound by
medical ethics in their professional contact with vulnerable people, even when
not providing therapy. Whatever their role, physicians must try to prevent
coercion or maltreatment of detainees and must protest if it occurs. The other
important component is respect for autonomy. Physicians should respect
individuals’ autonomy. This can involve difficult assessments as hunger
strikers’ true wishes may not be as clear as they appear. Any decisions lack
moral force if made involuntarily by use of threats, peer pressure or coercion.
Hunger strikers should not be forcibly given treatment they refuse. Forced
feeding contrary to an informed and voluntary refusal is unjustifiable.
Artificial feeding in form of intravenous fluid/nutrition with the hunger
striker’s explicit or implied consent is ethically acceptable.
sir ,I am in government service,I have seen hunger strikers who remain very active except presence of ketones in urine even after 20-25 days of hunger strike..After 15-16 days administration ask us to write that continuation of hunger strike will be harmful to their health and they should be feeded immediately.Please guide me when should we write that continuation of hunger strike will endanger his life.If hunger striker is a prisoner is force feeding legalized,recently I have seen a order from District Magistrate quoting some lines from Parikh "force feeding to a prisoner is not an assault".
ReplyDeleteIs Ryle"s Tube feeding a form of force feeding??
ReplyDelete