Adherence to principles of ethics in medical practice is inadequate in Pakistan while formal training in bioethics needs to be incorporated in undergraduate and postgraduate medical training so that the healthcare providers understand the concept, process and application of medical ethics.
This was stated by Prof John Biggs, former dean Cambridge University UK, on Thursday at the conclusion of a series of three workshops on "Medical Ethics", held here at the University of Health Sciences (UHS). The workshops were attended by more than 70 faculty members from affiliated medical colleges.
Prof Biggs said that while most western countries had enshrined the concepts of informed consent, privacy and confidentiality in federal or state laws and code of ethics, such law-making was almost non-existent in Pakistan although there had been some recent efforts to create ethical guidelines for research and medical practice.