Current status of regulation of ethics in health care in the English-speaking Caribbean.
Clinical ethics committees are poorly developed in the English-speaking Caribbean. There is no lack of recognition that there is a problem in the conduct of some health professionals; however, there is a lack of administrative will to deal with the problems. Why there is such a lack of will can be speculated upon and may involve the feeling of a loss of control, and in small communities, the fact that Caesar may be asked to stand in judgement on Caesar. However, the public is increasingly impatient with the stalemate of misconduct and the lack of regulation and is seeking legal remedies or indulging in vilification of the profession to obtain some satisfaction of their grievances. For their own professional health, professionals should demand from administrators that ethical expertise and guidance be made available or they should bypass the administrators and seek to find the necessary expertise and guidance to ensure that this area is no longer ignored and does not remain a convenient and readily available weapon against them.
Walrond
E R
ER
School of Clinical Medicine and Research, University of the West Indies, Cave Hill, Barbados.
D017691:Caribbean Region; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D004992:Ethics, Medical; D006801:Humans; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D012106:Research / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence