BIOETHICS
Introduction
Outline
• What is medical ethics?
• Medical Council of Malawi (MCM): establishment and importance
• Functions of MCM
• Code of ethics and professional conduct
Ethics
• moral principles and code for behavior that govern individual
actions with others within society
• branch of philosophy; the formal, rational, systemic
examination of rightness and wrongness of human actions
• study of bases or principles for deciding right and wrong
• analyses of processes which decide right and wrong
Morality
- what people believe to be right and good
- system of norms or rules, written or not, about human behavior
Medical ethics?
• evaluate rightness and wrongness of human actions in
medicine
• moral principles for medical practitioners dealing with each
other, patients and state
• ethics that deals with moral issues in medical practice
❖ Medical ethics - closely related, but not identical, to bioethics
(biomedical ethics)
Bioethics
• ethical implications of biomedical technology and its practices
• broad subject concerned with moral issues of developments in
biological sciences
• does not require acceptance of certain traditional values
• issues in bioethics are often life-and-death issues
• moral issues and problems risen as result of modern medicine
and medical research.
➢Ethical and bioethical principles can be personal,organizational,
institutional or worldwide
Ethics are...
• Moral Principles
• What is good and bad
• What is right and wrong
• Based on value system
Medical Council of Malawi (MCM)
• Established by parliament through an act of Medical Practitioners and
Dentist Act, 1987
• Independent regulatory body
• Became operational in 1988
Mandate
Includes:
• registration and disciplining of medical practitioners and dentists
• regulation of medical training within Malawi
• control and regulation of the medical profession and practice in
Malawi
e.g. Inspecting health facilities (MoH, CHAM, Private, etc.)
Functions and powers
The registration body of medical practitioners in Malawi
• promotion and improvement of health of Malawian population
• exercise disciplinary control over professional conduct of all registered practitioner
• communicate to MoH information concerning matters of public health
• register or deregister practitioners
• appoint examiners and moderators, conduct examinations and approve certificates
• approve institutions in Malawi for training of medical and related personnel
• consider matter affecting medical, dental or psychology professions
Council committees
• Executive committee
• Disciplinary committee
• Education and training committee
• Inspectorate Committee
• Finance and human resource committee
The executive committee
• Chairperson and Vice-chairperson of Council
• Chairperson of Finance and Establishment and Inspectorate and Registration
committees
• Chairperson of Education and training committee.
• Secretary for health, Justice as ex-officio
• Solicitor General as ex-officio
➢Conducts council’s duties or as Board
➢Cannot change councils provisions
The Disciplinary committee
• Council forms an adhoc committee
• Chairperson of Council and two to four appointees to probe an
issue.
• Commends to council disciplinary action
The education and training committee
• One member of council
• Appointees by council
• Advise council, matters concerning education and training
requirements of medical, paramedical and allied personnel
The Inspectorate Committee
• Same composition as education and training
• Handles all application for registration
• Conduct general inspection of all health facilities.
Finance and Establishment Committee
• Same composition as education and training
• Advise council on matters of finance and human resource
Code of ethics and professional conduct
• Code of ethics: written guidelines to help conduct actions
professionally
• Code of conduct: conventional principles and expectations
considered binding professionalism e.g. health
Code of ethics and professional conduct…
• Safeguard and improve quality of human life, through ethical
code of conduct
• Give advice and treatment necessary to reduce suffering of
patients
• Treat patients/client /guardians with courtesy and respect for
their inherent dignity
• Privacy and confidentiality
• No discrimination against any person on any basis
• Place well-being and service of patient above own interests
• Loyalty to laboratory profession by maintaining high standards of
work
• Honesty
• Do not misuse professional skill or knowledge for personal gain
• Never take anything from work not yours
• No unauthorized disclosure of patient/client results of your
investigations
• Respect and work in harmony with other profession members
• Promote health care by prevention and control of disease
• Do not drink alcohol during working hours or emergency stand-by
• Use equipment and ware correctly with care
• Do not waste reagents/supplies
• Be reliable and complete terms and conditions of your employment
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