GS4 · 20 marks · 250 words
Ashmita is a respected doctor who runs her own maternity clinic in a small town. She is a mother of two and her husband is also a doctor. Ashmita handles multiple cases of child delivery every day and is known for her compassionate treatment of patients. Her clinic enjoys a good reputation in town. Among other expecting mothers, Shikha, daughter-in-law of an MLA, was admitted to Ashmita's maternity clinic for child birth. The MLA met Ashmita and expressed his confidence in her skills. He requested her to personally take extra care of Shikha, to which Ashmita agreed happily. Shikha unexpectedly went into labour in the early hours the next day. During this time, Ashmita was performing an emergency surgery on another patient, so she could not attend to Shikha. Shikha was taken care of by other qualified doctors and hospital staff. The MLA was visibly unhappy that Ashmita did not attend Shikha herself. Once the emergency surgery was completed, Ashmita joined her staff and attended Shikha. However, Shikha passed away due to excess bleeding from Postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) during childbirth. Postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) is unpredictable heavy bleeding and Ashmita did everything that she could have done to try to save Shikha's life. The MLA blamed Ashmita for Shikha's death. Ashmita was beaten by the MLA and his staff. When her husband tried to save Ashmita, he was dragged out of the hospital and thrashed. A police complaint was also lodged against Ashmita accusing her of murder due to negligence. For many days after the incident, she and her family faced constant harassment by police and supporters of the MLA. Ultimately, Ashmita could not take any more humiliation and committed suicide. The news of suicide by the doctor spread like wildfire. Indian Medical Association took cognizance of the case and warned nationwide strike of doctors if appropriate actions in this case were not taken. The state government has appointed a committee to investigate the matter and recommend suitable actions. You are the Chairperson of this committee. In this scenario, answer the following: a) Why do doctors face violence in the country? b) Identify various moral-ethical and administrative lapses in this case. c) What would you recommend in this case? Give rationale behind giving those recommendations.
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Syllabus: Case Studies on above issues.
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More on Crisis Decision Making
Deciding under time pressure with incomplete information, and the ethics of acting or waiting.
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