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CC BY 4.0 · Indian J Med Paediatr Oncol 2024; 45(06): 481-487
DOI: 10.1055/s-0043-1774779
Review Article

Bioethical and Human Right Considerations during COVID-19 Pandemic Period: Reflections of Integrated Oncology Clinical Services from India

Lal P. Madathil
1   The Bioethics SAARC Nodal Centre, International Network Bioethics, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Kochi, Ernakulam, Kerala, India
2   Bioethics Education & Research Unit of the UNESCO Chair in Bioethics, at Mangalore Institute of Oncology, Pumpwell, Mangalore, Karnataka, India
,
Princy Louis Palatty 
1   The Bioethics SAARC Nodal Centre, International Network Bioethics, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Kochi, Ernakulam, Kerala, India
3   Department of Pharmacology, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Peeliyadu Road, Ernakulam, Kerala, India
,
Dhanya Sacheendran 
3   Department of Pharmacology, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Peeliyadu Road, Ernakulam, Kerala, India
,
Mamatha Jayachander
3   Department of Pharmacology, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Peeliyadu Road, Ernakulam, Kerala, India
,
Thomas George
4   Internal Medicine Coney Island Hospital, New York, United States
,
Arpita Gur
5   Department of Periodontology, Aditya Dental College, Beed, Maharashtra, India
,
Abhishek Krishna
6   Radiation Oncology, Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, India
,
Russell Franco D'souza
7   Department of Education, International Chair in Bioethics, University of Porto Portugal (Formerly UNESCO Chair in Bioethics, University of Haifa); Directorate of The Asia Pacific Division and Education Department, Cleeland Street, Melbourne, Australia
,
Manjeshwar Shrinath Baliga 
1   The Bioethics SAARC Nodal Centre, International Network Bioethics, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Kochi, Ernakulam, Kerala, India
2   Bioethics Education & Research Unit of the UNESCO Chair in Bioethics, at Mangalore Institute of Oncology, Pumpwell, Mangalore, Karnataka, India
7   Department of Education, International Chair in Bioethics, University of Porto Portugal (Formerly UNESCO Chair in Bioethics, University of Haifa); Directorate of The Asia Pacific Division and Education Department, Cleeland Street, Melbourne, Australia
› Author Affiliations Funding None.
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Abstract

Ever since the outbreak of COVID-19, the global health care systems are overwhelmed to cope up with the rapidly evolving disease paradigm through implementation of action plans at societal and medical domains. As per the directives from the World Health Organization and learned professional organizations, the international governments and states have formulated different protocols to prevent disease spread, for diagnosis and treatment of the disease and associated comorbidities, and to educate citizens during this crisis phase. Health care services across the world followed a “prioritizing strategy” for hospital population wherein the non-COVID cases were given less focus. Many hospitals opted for a conscious staff-sparing strategy to minimize exposure and protection of clinically valuable staff. Oncology services across the world reported a decline in the provision of clinical services to patients. There were medical concerns such as missed diagnosis, delayed diagnosis, delayed treatment, stoppage of screening programs, and differed follow-ups during the last 2 years of pandemic. The multidisciplinary oncology teams aim to ensure that cancer patients in the continuum of integrated cancer care pathway get globally accepted standards of optimum care. However, Beauchamp's ethical principles of autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, and distributive justice were arguably compromised during the pandemic period. The articles of UNESCO Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights (UDBHR) declaration were possibly violated in cancer patients as a vulnerable population. This article analyses the bioethical and human right concerns with respect to medical and societal domains in oncology during the COVID-19 pandemic period.

Keywords

COVID-19 - bioethics - human rights - oncology


Publication History

Article published online:
18 July 2024

© 2024. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, permitting unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction so long as the original work is properly cited. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

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