Medical Ethics and

Professional Practice
Yr. III and IV – Lecture
VII
DR MARTIN M. NSUBUGA
SENIOR LECTURER
 Presentation outline
•Roles and responsibilities of Councils and Associations
•Health and human rights

12/22/2020 KING CEASOR UNIVERSITY 2

 Roles and responsibilities of Councils
and Associations
•Uganda Medical and Dental Practitioners Council
oEstablished by an Act of Parliament: The Uganda Medical and Dental
Practitioners Act 1998.
oFunctions of the Council:
i. To monitor and exercise general supervision and control over and
maintenance of professional medical and dental educational standards,
including continuing education;
ii. To promote the maintenance and enforcement of professional medical
and dental ethics;
iii. To exercise general supervision of medical and dental practice at all levels;

12/22/2020 KING CEASOR UNIVERSITY 3

 Roles and responsibilities of Councils
and Associations
•UMDPC:
oFunctions of the Council:
iv. To exercise disciplinary control over medical and dental practitioners;
v. To protect society from abuse of medical and dental care and research on
human beings;
vi. To advise and make recommendations to the Government on matters
relating to the medical and dental professions;

12/22/2020 KING CEASOR UNIVERSITY 4

 Roles and responsibilities of Councils
and Associations
•UMDPC:
oFunctions of the Council:
vii. To exercise any power and perform any duty authorised or required by
the UMDPC Act or any other law;
viii. To disseminate to the medical and dental practitioners and the
public, ethics relating to doctor-patient rights and obligations;
xi. and for the purposes of discharging its functions under this Act, to
perform any other function or act relating to medical or dental
practice as the Minister may direct.

12/22/2020 KING CEASOR UNIVERSITY 5

 Roles and responsibilities of Councils
and Associations
•Uganda Medical Association:
oTo contribute to universal access to health and health care
o To promote professional ethical standards among medical doctors in
Uganda
oTo promote the welfare of medical doctors in Uganda
oTo mobilize doctors to join and encourage them to actively participate
in the Association’s activities and
oTo strengthen the financial base of the Association.

12/22/2020 KING CEASOR UNIVERSITY 6

 Health and human rights
•The enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is one of
the fundamental rights of every human being without distinction of
race, religion, political belief, economic or social condition.
•The right to health for all people means that everyone should have
access to the health services they need, when and where they need
them, without suffering financial hardship. (Universal Health
Coverage)

12/22/2020 KING CEASOR UNIVERSITY 7

 Health and Human rights
•Good health is also clearly determined by other basic human rights
including access to safe drinking water and sanitation, nutritious
foods, adequate housing, education and safe working conditions.
•The right to health also means that everyone should be entitled to
control their own health and body, including having access to sexual
and reproductive information and services, free from violence and
discrimination.

12/22/2020 KING CEASOR UNIVERSITY 8

 Health and human rights
•Everyone has the right to privacy and to be treated with respect and
dignity. Nobody should be subjected to medical experimentation,
forced medical examination, or given treatment without informed
consent.
•W.H.O. advocates for people-centred care: people are given the
opportunity to be active participants in their own care, instead of
passive recipients, their human rights are respected, the outcomes of
care are better and health systems become more efficient.

12/22/2020 KING CEASOR UNIVERSITY 9

 Health and human rights
•People-centred health services is an approach to care that
consciously adopts the perspectives of individuals, families and
communities, and sees them as participants as well as beneficiaries
of trusted health systems that respond to their needs and
preferences in humane and holistic ways. People-centred care
requires that people have the education and support they need to
make decisions and participate in their own care. It is organized
around the health needs and expectations of people rather than
diseases (W.H.O.)

12/22/2020 KING CEASOR UNIVERSITY 10

•We will continue from here – acquaint yourselves with some case
studies in Medical Ethics
•Text me emails of the 3 class leaders, they may be different to what I
have.

12/22/2020 KING CEASOR UNIVERSITY 11