The Human Rights Commission of Maldives (HRCM) is investigating into reports of underage concubines in Maldives. Using confidential information obtained from the Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH), the HRCM has revealed that 85 girls under 18 years of age took pregnancy tests at the IGMH between January and September this year.
How these pregnancy tests are linked to the alleged concubines has not been made clear by the HRCM.
Now the IGMH is hitting back in order to show that they have not violated the strict medical code of ethics- i.e.,the releasing of patient confidential information without the consent of the patient.
IGMH has said that in matters of national importance the hospital would provide information to the relevant authorities, as it has done by informing HRCM of the underage pregnancy tests.
The IGMH has, however, not clarified about what was the specific national importance to these underage pregnancy tests.
Clouding any real issues that may be behind the underage pregnancy tests, the HRCM and the IGMH have engaged in a squabble of who is right and wrong, the sort of chaotic process that is typically used by our esteemed organisations in order to resolve complex social and health problems considered to be of national interest.
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6 comments:
Took them long enough.
if president nasheed allows the 40m$ earned from dhiraagu sale to fix these social problems. i would think he is a good man with good values.
The Human rights commission are trying to use this issue to attack Islam yet again, claiming that "extremists" keep concubines. Their agenda is to make this society more westernised under the guise of fighting "extremism".
They clearly are munafiqeen.
What the HRCM fails to realize is that every patient has a right to privacy and confidentiality of his or her medical information, and HRCM should uphold such rights of patients as well. The issue highlights the need for establishing clear guidelines on the use of such information and the need for cooperation amongst government organizations. Also there are several instances in medical practice where a pregnancy test may be indicated, and by getting excited by such information, the actions of HRCM will cause teens to get tested elsewhere.
Hi, canofworms, anonymous, ibn khattab
Thank you for the comments.
Hi Dr faisal
Both IGMH and HRCM are wrong in the manner they released the info about the underage pregnancies. As you have pointed out here and as IGMH painstakingly explained after HRCM released the info into public domain thru the press, there are several instances where a pregancy test may be advised and done for a underage girl. Such tests may have nothing to with being a concubine or abuse of any nature and therefore, should never be released by the IGMH and the HRCM.
Since the investigation is about concubines, info relevant to them has national importance. The issue of privacy and confidentiality is so important that IGMH should have forced HRCM to go to court and prove the national importance which requires such info to be released to them.
HRCM has no right to demand such private and confidential information from IGMH unless they can prove the case for its national interest.
Yes, establishing clear guidelines is necessary to avoid these incidents. Unfortunately, our elected officials in the government and members of the parliament from both from the ruling and opposition party as well as the independents are too busy trying to score political points even when it is at the expense of public good. So it will take time. Until then, professionals like doctors could use common sense and diligence to keep up the ethics and integrity of their professions.
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