Review the following cases. Determine what ethical dilemma may be presented in the case and if any human rights may be violated. Justify your decision. What would you recommend in this situation?
A. Suraiya was a 21-year-old woman in Kabul, Afghanistan. Her sister recently died in childbirth at the age of 16. Suraiya took her sister to a health center when she was having trouble with her labor. However, the health center was 50 miles away from their house. In addition, partly because of the neglect of the last government and its discrimination against women, the health center was dilapidated. It had no equipment and the midwife there was unable to save Suraiya's sister. The baby died a few days later.
B. John Williams was a 32-year-old office clerk in a small country in sub-Saharan Africa. For three months he had experienced weight loss, continuous fever, and chronic fatigue. He finally got up the strength to visit the local hospital. When he got there, the staff was not welcoming. They did not treat him kindly. They did not offer to help him. They did not arrange for him to be seen by a doctor. They knew that he had HIV and did not want to treat him in their hospital.
C. A research team was conducting a study of malaria in villages in West Africa.When the doctors working for the study diagnosed children with severe malaria, they would provide treatment free of charge. However, sometimes the children in the study had other medical problems that needed attention. For example, many children presented with diarrheal diseases, parasitic infections, or pneumonia. Some of the doctors wanted to treat all these conditions, too. Other members of the team worried that their budget would not cover these extra costs. In any case, they said, the purpose of the study was to learn about malaria, not to provide clinical care.
D. The newly elected government of an Indian state won election on a pledge to increase investment in health care. The government plans to build new primary health clinics, but with the limited money available, only a few can be built and staffed. Some members of the government argue that the clinics should be located in the countryside. People there are poorer than in the cities and have less access to medical facilities. Others argue that the cities should get priority. A clinic in the urban slums serves more people than a rural clinic and is easier to staff and supply. Besides, they say, the party's electoral base is in the city, and if they want to be re-elected to continue to do their good work, it is important to keep the voters happy.