Ethics of Doctors During Difficult Period
SUKHIT PHAOSAV ASDI, M.D.*, SURASAK TANEEPANICHSKUL, M.D.*, YUEN TANNIRANDORN, M.D.*, AURCHART KARNJANAPITAK, M.D.*, CHUMSAK PRUKSAPONG, M.D.**, PINIT KULLA V ANIJA YA, M.D.***
Affiliation : * Member of Thai Medical Association. ** Deputy Secretary General, Medical Council of Thailand. ***President of the Royal College of Physicians of Thailand.
Medical personnel have different experiences, from medical students, externs, interns, resi dents, new consultants and senior consultants. These people when under stress will behave differently. Some may do something wrong but hide them and hoping others would not find out but when these are news to the public it is not appropriate as these are bad behaviors which damage those who made them and make society detest doctors even moreo·2>. When members of medical profession do something wrong or misbehaved badly, society will be shocked, sorry, could not take the news, or curse the wrong doer. Medical personnel should be sensitive to the feeling of society. Apart from joining in with the condolencing, doctors should act neutrally. We should not think of making the wrong right and should not protect our own people who is wrong because society will not accept this special privilege. It must be understood that this is a fault of one person who must take punishment for the crime, along with the condemnation without getting away with it. The duty of doctors are to look after a lot of people who are waiting for help regarding their health. Our nation has about 20 million(3 > people living under the poverty line, without help and with no chance of making a living. In the future there will still be doctors breaking the law badly again, just like any other profession, but hopefully not too often. Doctors are like other human being, with good and bad parts mixed in any one person. People when born can not choose to bring only good things with them but society acknowledges that doctors have gifts in learning, in working hard, with good brain, good in mathematics, science, and with good chance of a successful life in the medical profession, with honour, money, and power. All these which are different from other professions and society knows full well(4.s>. Those who are hot blooded, hot headed, or cold blooded and can not control aggressive emotion, can be found in some doctors. Is there something wrong mentally or from the gene? How can we diagnose it? Does environment, for example, good upbringing, combined with high education, have any effect? Will it stimulate, slow down, or stop the abnormal soul which already exists in the body? These are matters to be thought of, to be studied, and should be opened to discussion, to provide society wenue of expression and relief6>. The Internet reveals that there are 42,500 reports concerning doctors as murderers. 24,200 reports confirm that doctors murdered their wives. There were 1,190 reports in Japan, 139 from Malaysia, 131 from Thailand, 40 from Singapore, 1880 from UK. In the USA I, 130 reports of doctors were sentenced to death. In Thailand, according to newspapers and magazines, such as Nation, Arthit, Matichon, Crime, and Thairath there are only 5 cases of doctors who committed murder. Even though this number is not many, but as mentioned, society can not accept this as it destroys the trust and res pect such that it can not be remedied or forgiven
Keywords : Ethics, Crisis
