Medical Ethics workshop in Peradeniya

Background 


Since 1993 the Medical Education Unit at the University of Peradeniya in
collaboration with the Center for Medical Ethics at the University of Oslo
has been involved in laying the foundation for a medical ethics program. 
The initial joint activities involved the staff of the Medical Education
Unit participating in training workshops conducted by the Faculty of
Medicine at the University of Colombo.  This was followed by Dr.
Kasturiaratchi, the present Director of the Unit, visiting the Center for
Medical Ethics in Oslo in September 1993 and September - December 1994. 
The activity to be undertaken under this collaboration can be broadly
classified into two categories, viz. Institutional Development at the
Medical Education Unit to train medical teachers in teaching and research
in Medical Ethics, and support of the development of a Regional Center of
Medical Ethics for the South Asian Region.  Specifically, this will be
done through the creation of an M.A./Ph.D. program in Medical Ethics at
the University of Peradeniya. 

Medical Ethics developed as an academic field during the 1960s and 1970s. 
Most of the activities in this field have taken place in the US and
Western Europe.  There has, however, been a growing awareness of the need
for international collaboration in this field, and a growing need for the
development of expertise in topics of importance to developing nations. 
One obvious area of concern is the possibility that developing nations are
exploited by researchers eager to carry out their research which may have
been rejected for ethical reasons in their home countries.  Another area
of concern is that research that is important to the needs of developing
countries is not carried out for a variety of reeasons.  There is an
urgent need to create a program of education in the field of Medical
Ethics with the aim of ensuring that the necessary expertise in this field
exists in developing countries. 

The purpose of this planning proposal is to initiate the planning of a
training program in Medical Ethics in the South Asian region. 


Workshop in medical ethics

In order to initiate these activities, The Medical Education Unit together
with the Center for International Health at the University of Bergen will
conduct a Regional International Training Workshop on Clinical Medical
Ethics in Sri Lanka in June 1996 (June 25 - 30). The general objectives
for having this workshop in Sri Lanka are as follows: 

1) Explore the possibilities of establishing a training program in Medical
Ethics in the region; 

2) Develop a network of medical ethics trainers in the SEARO region;

3) Establish a north-south exchange of expertise among the Medical
Education Unit Staff, Medical teachers from the SEARO region and the
experts from the University of Bergen; 

4) Initiate trainingof a resource group in Sri Lanka to carry out future
training programmes in medical ethics for local and international health
care providers; 

5) Initiate training of a core group of personell who could initiate
medical ethics activies in SEARO countries. 


The participants in this workshop will come from the following countries
in the SEARO region:  India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Thailand and Sri
Lanka.  The workshop would explore the possibility of the formation of a
SEARO region Medical Ethics network.  We expect a total number of 25
participants from this region and 4 visitors as resource people.  The
workshop is financed by the World Health Organisation, the University of
Peradeniya and the University of Bergen. 


Tentative programme

Day 1

Inauguration.  Moral issues.  Country presentations.  Introduction to
principles of medical ethics

Day 2

Principles in Medical Ethics/case discussion

Day 3

Clinical medical ethics issues. e.g. informed consent, abortion, veracity,
micro- allocation of resources.  Cross cultural studies of medical ethics


Day 4

Law and ethics.  Teaching of clinical ethics


Day 5

Ethical guidelines. National and International


Day 6

Work in teams/ethics committees, medical auditing, peer review


Day 7

Formation of a SEARO region Medical Ethics Network.  Recommendations for
future cooperative.