Ethics of a Leader
SUKHIT PHAOSAVASDI, MD*, SURASAK TA NEEPANICHSKUL, MD*, YUEN TANNIRANDORN, MD*, CHUMSAK PRUKSAPONG, MD*, PINIT KULLA VA NUA YA , MD**, AURCHART KARNJANAPITAK, MD***
Affiliation : * Member of Thai Medical Association. ** President of the Royal College of Physicians of Thailand, Secretary -General of Medical Council. *** Member of the Royal College of ENT. Deputy Secretary -General of Medical Council.
If the speech regarding health care made on the 28'h January 2003 by a leader of a country
was true there are a lot to be studied regarding ethics of this level of people.
It is not possible to say that the health care system must have high standard, but at a price
that we all can afford. One thing doctors must be careful is that quality should have standard because
certain standard can be agreed and is acceptable to all but high standard is relative and there is no hard
and fast rule about it and can give rise to different point of views when customers say a standard is not
adequate.
To equate high quality health care system with expenditure that everyone can afford is in
itself antagonistic. To say something like this is to make listeners falsely believe that from now on the
standard of health care for everyone is acceptable and there is no need to worry but one has to pay by
oneself.
It is common knowledge that American health care being very expensive. The cost is borne
by insurance but some people do not have insurance because of self employed, well off, healthy or have
previously bought insurance and have not used it so decided not to continue with the insurance. This
group of Americans look after themselves because they believe in freedom and self reliance which is
the basic culture of all Americans. But you cannot fairly compare it to the Thai people because of dif
ferent cultures, society, and religion. The belief of Thai and American are not the same. Also there are
many Thai people who have low income with no education, no home, no job, no food to eat, and this
number may be in millions, may be up to 10-15 per cent of all Thai people but this figure is not the same
in American. To look after the health of these people is a big problem for Thailand. How to receive the
health care at a level that is acceptable, and to receive help from the government. To use the govern
ment service and make doctors and nurses fully responsible. For this we make a plea to carefully study
ing the problem and it can be seen from the Health Insurance Bill 2545 regarding the expense, standard
of care and suing.
Therefore to compare health problem of one country to another may not be appropriate and
can have both good and bad outcome. What are you thinking and how well meaning are you to meddle
in the way we look after the low income group?
Ethics can state rightly or wrongly if that action is not according to the norm, for example
to disregard the right of people, to be unfair, dishonest, not keeping secret, not observing the rules,
regulations etc. But if it is just disagreement in culture, governance, religion, belief, nobody can be
right or wrong because it is just a difference of opinions. We must listen to reason and wait for the
result and take the pro and con to practise and bear it.
Keywords : Ethics, Leader
