Medical Neutrality and Political Activism: Physicians' Roles in Conflict Situations

List, Justin M.

doi:10.1007/978-1-4020-6912-3_14

Cited by 7 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…We can find these moral principles also in professional ethical codes. We can think about to the World Medical Association, that has promulgated guidelines to remember that the physician's duty to treat people with humanity and respect prohibits discriminations not only on account on race or gender, but also on the basis of political affiliation, including when a person is considered an enemy (Rubenstein 2015; List 2008).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Separation Wall and the right to healthcare

Borgo

Picozzi

2016

Med Health Care and Philos

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Nowadays, the concepts of soldier and war have changed due to terrorism and the war on terrorism. According to the literature, to prevent terrorism, it is possible to use more violence, but how can we grant the safety of many versus the dignity of a few? In Israel, in order to protect civilians against possible terrorist attacks, Palestinian ambulances that would reach the Israeli hospitals (or the Palestinian hospitals in East Jerusalem) must be quickly controlled. However, many times, at the checkpoint, patients have to wait for an Israeli vehicle that will take them to Israel. This procedure causes many delays in medical emergency. How to avoid that terrorists may receive better care than Palestinian civilians may just because they are already on the Israeli side of the Separation Wall? How is it possible to ensure the life and safety of many, without denying the right to healthcare to somebody? How to decide when the State requirements conflict with traditional medical duties? Is it acceptable to provide health care to a terrorist? What should be done when it is uncertain whether the ambulance transports weapons besides patients? These questions call upon the core role of the doctor and of the medical profession: taking care of all sick persons. The care is the starting point of ethics. If we do not care about other human beings we do not have a real moral comprehension of any human ideal or action. For this reason we can say that the care is the premise of morality. The rights of all citizens, including the claim to public security, grounds on the care for each individual who needs help.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Separation Wall and the right to healthcare

Borgo

Picozzi

2016

Med Health Care and Philos

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“…Although marginal, the pacifist school argues for physician activisms against war while other scholars argue for political activism to report human rights abuses [60].…”

Section: Conflict With Social and Political Rolesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, their participation in war, as with all soldiers (whether or not they are combatants), is governed by the principles of jus ad bello which provides that "acts of war must be proportionate to the objectives and must respect the immunity of non-combatants, which means sparing the civilian populations" (translated) [62]. As with just war theory, which distinguishes between the right of a country to participate in war and how to act during war, it is thus important to recognise the distinction between a physician's participation in war (political neutrality or activism) and the way he or she contributes (medical neutrality), which are not equivalent [60].…”

Section: Conflict With Social and Political Rolesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dilemmas in Military Medical Ethics: A Call for Conceptual Clarity

Rochon¹

2016

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Despite the increase in and evolving nature of armed conflicts, the ethical issues faced by military physicians working in such contexts are still rarely examined in the bioethics literature. Military physicians are members of the military, even if they are non-combatants; and their role is one of healer but also sometimes humanitarian. Some scholars wonder about the moral compatibility of being both a physician and soldier. The ethical conflicts raised in the literature regarding military physicians can be organized into three main perspectives: 1) moral problems in military medicine are particular because of the difficulty of meeting the requirements of traditional bioethical principles; 2) medical codes of ethics and international laws are not well adapted to or are too restrictive for a military context; and 3) physicians are social actors who should either be pacifists, defenders of human rights, politically neutral or promoters of peace. A review of the diverse dilemmas faced by military physicians shows that these differ substantially by level (micro, meso, macro), context and the actors involved, and that they go beyond issues of patient interests. Like medicine in general, military medicine is complex and touches on potentially contested views of the roles and obligations of the physician. Greater conceptual clarity is thus needed in discussions about military medical ethics.Malgré l’augmentation des conflits armés et des changements qui les caractérisent, les enjeux éthiques auxquels font face les médecins militaires sont très peu traités dans la littérature en bioéthique. Les médecins militaires sont des membres du corps militaire, même s’ils sont non combattants, et ils jouent un rôle de soignant tout en pouvant être appelés à agir comme aide humanitaire. Certains auteurs se sont même interrogés sur la compatibilité morale d’être à la fois médecin et soldat. Les conflits éthiques soulevés dans la littérature sur les médecins militaires peuvent être organisés autour de trois perspectives : 1) les problèmes moraux en médecine militaire seraient particuliers compte tenu des difficultés à respecter les principes bioéthiques traditionnels; 2) les codes d’éthique médicaux et les lois internationales seraient trop restrictifs ou inadéquats pour le contexte militaire; et 3) les médecins sont des acteurs sociaux qui devraient être pacifistes, défenseurs des droits de la personne, politiquement neutres ou promoteurs de la paix. Une revue des divers dilemmes rencontrés par les médecins militaires identifiés dans la littérature nous montre que ces perspectives se situent à des niveaux d’analyse différents (micro, méso, macro), que les contextes et les acteurs impliqués sont souvent différents et que les dilemmes vont bien au-delà des enjeux liés strictement à l’intérêt du patient. Tout comme la profe...

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“…Conflict situations viewed as public health problems can be likened to an epidemic of disease. Physicians should conceive of conflict situations as destructive, fatal epidemics and respond accordingly [5,6]. Medical professionalism and the ethical integrity of medicine practiced in its diverse societal domains, including military medicine, should be of the utmost concern to all physicians because the values of the profession are at stake.…”

Section: Examining Core Military Medical Ethicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Recruiting for Military Scholarship Programs on Medical School Campuses

List

Walter²

2007

AMA Journal of Ethics

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Three months of the first year of medical school had passed, and, in addition to the fields of anatomy and histology, Amanda was beginning to learn more about her classmates. She'd been pleased to discover that she had quite a bit in common with many of the students she'd met; like her, they not only had a fascination with human biology and pathophysiology but were also motivated to help others and to prevent or alleviate suffering.When an e-mail went out to the first-year class announcing an upcoming visit by a military recruiter, Amanda assumed that her friends would agree that the military had no place in an academic institution dedicated to the promotion of health and the safety of individuals and communities. She was shocked to hear her lab partner say, "Actually, I'm in the Health Professions Scholarship Program. My husband and I have a young child, and putting us into debt for my education just wasn't an option. So, I'll do some military service after my residency, and the Army will cover the entire cost of med school. I don't see any conflict in being a military doctor. I'll make a huge difference by giving care to people who are working to keep us all safe and secure." Commentary 1 by Justin M. List, MARThis case provides a snapshot of the diverse feelings people attach to the U.S. military and its methods of recruitment. Amanda and her friend undoubtedly have different perceptions of the military, its actions and influence, and its potential impact on the practice of medicine. Amanda might be against a military recruiter presence on campus because she assumes that military demands compromise the ethical behavior of physicians in some way; thus her concern for her classmate. Conversely, Amanda's friend might assume that practicing medicine in the military will allow her the same freedoms in professional conduct that any civilian physician has. Both assumptions contain some truth.Since the topic of recruitment on campus can provoke heated discussions, let's elucidate what makes concern about military presence at a medical school disconcerting for Amanda. After all, it is less likely she would be so upset if other governmental agencies that provide loan forgiveness in exchange for service, such as the U.

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Medical Neutrality and Political Activism: Physicians' Roles in Conflict Situations

Cited by 7 publications

References 8 publications

The Separation Wall and the right to healthcare

The Separation Wall and the right to healthcare

Dilemmas in Military Medical Ethics: A Call for Conceptual Clarity

Recruiting for Military Scholarship Programs on Medical School Campuses

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