Ethics: August 2023 UPSC Current Affairs | Current Affairs & Hindu Analysis: Daily, Weekly & Monthly PDF Download

Case study 1

Ebola Outbreak and Experimental Drugs

The Ebola outbreak in Nigeria has affected thousands of people in a short span of time and infected many others. There is no vaccine or treatment available to cure the disease. You are the head of the health department of one of the countries that have been severely hit by the epidemic. While there is no treatment currently available for the disease, an experimental drug is being used in some other country. This drug has shown positive results and consequently some of the patients have also managed to recover from the disease. However, it is not yet clear whether the relief came due to the drug alone, or otherwise.
Given the high mortality rate of the disease and its rapid spread, other countries affected by this disease have already given a go-ahead for the mass production of this experimental drug. But some health experts are sceptical about the efficacy of the drug and have even warned against its use as it may result in some deadly side-effects.

• Bring out and discuss the above case.
• What would you do in the above situation? Give reasons.

Sol: 

(a) The ethical issues involved in this case are:
Responsibility of the leader to make crucial decisions in a crisis situation even with the risks involved.
Right to medical treatment of affected persons.
Threat to life and likely side effects of the experimental drug and the opportunity cost of not taking the risk of trying the drug.
The veracity of the advice against the drug’s use by health experts in face of some positive results of the drug effects from other countries.
Right of human being against medical experimentation in face of likely side effect hazards.
The responsibility of the state to protect its citizens from health hazards by investing in medical Research and development.
(b) In the crisis situation the aim of any action taken must be
To protect the lives of as many people as possible.
To ensure that any medication doesn't have long-term hazards, i.e., it should not bypass long term effects just to have short term gains.
To prevent the spread of the disease by quarantining the affected persons to remote and secure locations.
Thus, I would take the following measures:
Call an urgent meeting of health experts to discuss the drug, the positive results and also discuss the measures to contain the disease.
Based on their recommendations, I would raise awareness among people through the media who would themselves undertake precautionary measures at the individual level.
I would consult if the drug can be tested on patients in their terminal stage while also taking the consent of their family and giving financial compensation in case of death. Thus, I would try to get the drug tested. In case of positive results, I would ask doctors to administer the drug gradually and record all the symptoms. In case of any harmful symptom, I will stop its use.
Meanwhile, I would send a health expert team to the other country where the drug tested positive to study and verify how it worked.
In case of drug failing at experimenting stage, my efforts would be directed to check the spread of disease while ensuring all medical support to affected patients.

Case study 2

HIV Positive Employee

You are a government official. One day you find out that your subordinate is infected with HIV. Before you could stop the news from spreading, it had already become a topic of discussion among other members of the office. Now, they are pressuring you to suspend, sack or transfer him as they fear that his presence in the office might lead to other members getting contaminated with the virus. You try to make them understand that HIV does not spread from touching, but they are so skeptic and scared that they refuse to even listen to your reasoning. They all decide to not work till the HIV positive employee. Your office is already under a lot of work pressure and in the next week you are to finish some work within a deadline. How will you tackle this problem? Elaborate the steps that you will take to handle it.
Sol: This situation deals more with an implementation problem of a decision (already in mind) and not with taking a decision. We must keep in mind that HIV infected people also have the right to life and personal liberty as enumerated in Article 21 of Fundamental Rights. Based on this, they cannot be deprived of a dignified life. It has been established beyond doubt that HIV is not transmitted through air, food or water, and touch.
So, the demand of the members of the office is absolutely unreasonable. Besides being unreasonable their demand is also unethical as instead of social ostracisation, the HIV affected must be supported in this time of personal crisis. Hence, any action against the HIV infected person is neither desirable nor legal. However, as a team lead, one has to maintain social cohesion in the team and try best to assuage any suspicion in the minds of the people. Hence the following steps are desirable:

One can start by explaining the employees that a diseased person is to be empathized with and definitely not to be hated. To substantiate one’s arguments one can put forward few scientific researches in front of them to make them understand that they are not vulnerable to get infected.
In spite of the above if the employees persist with their stand then one can write to one’s seniors apprising of the situation and requesting to arrange an alternative team with similar skill sets so that they can complete the task.
In the mean time one can pass an executive order that the complaining employees have no option but to work with the current setup. Besides strict disciplinary action will be taken against all those who fail to comply with official orders.
In the mean time one can put all efforts to meet the deadline. One can try to organize medical educational camps to raise awareness.
To have a positive demonstrative effect, one can start by making the affected person sit next to oneself.

Case study 3

Duty versus Morality

You are posted as an SDM in a division of district which is undergoing ethnic turbulence since sometime. There has been a substantial loss of lives and property due to the disturbance, following which you are given implicit orders by the ruling party of the area to move a certain section of population, belonging to a particular ethnic group, out of the area to control the situation. This order has put you in a difficult position as it goes against your own ethical values of targeting a section of population and moving them out of their homes. However, not following the orders will be taken as dereliction of duty and will put the onus on you for the loss of lives.
A. In this situation, what are the options available to you?
B. In your opinion, what can be the most appropriate course of action and why? (250 words)
Sol: 
Approach

• Explain the given case and the ethical dilemma faced.
• Mention the options available with their merits and demerits.
• Mention a course of action with explanation.

The given case poses a challenge to choose between political orders of evicting a particular ethnic group against personal ethical values of targeting a section of population and moving them out of their homes. It highlights the ethical dilemma between duty ethics and social justice.
Options available

Option (2) seems to be the correct method to handle the situation.
It is to be noted that evicting a particular group can be viewed by locals as targeting a specific community. This can encourage others to indulge in violent activity. Also, the order could be politically motivated without rational basis. Following such an order is not only against individual dignity but also against code of conduct of civil services.

Course of Action

As the SDM of the district, following could be the possible courses of action:

• Perform first hand investigation of the ground reality and keep the political leadership informed about the gravity of the situation.
• Foremost priority should be to control the law & order situation. Ensure safety/security of the people by:
  • Increased patrolling, deployment of force.
  • Adopting zero-tolerance against wrongdoers.
• Persuade the political leaders to give some time to control the situation and convince them that forced eviction of the group could further deteriorate the conditions.
• Use social influence/ persuasion
  • Directly talking to community leaders taking help from locally influential people, grassroot workers, NGOs, etc to convince people not to indulge in ethnic clashes.
  • Approach of saintliness and empathy to involve them to win their trust.

Further, once the situation is in control, long term steps should be initiated. Developing harmony among the groups and maintain strict vigilance to avoid any instance that could trigger further conflict. Panchayat leaders should be encouraged to convince people and maintain social harmony.
Thus, by taking into confidence the political leaders, and controlling the law and order situation could prevent loss of lives and property. This way one can fulfill his/her administrative duty without neglecting social justice simultaneously showing the objectivity and non-partisan attitude of administration.