Online Human Rights and Ethics Course for Prison Doctors
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Accessible from: http://lupin-nma.net/
The introduction below is obtained from the course website:
http://lupin-nma.net/index.cfm?m=2&s=1&kursid=50&file=kurs/K050/intro.cfm
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"Doctors working in prisons who detect signs of torture or other
degrading treatment and who face dilemmas about their dual loy-
alty to the state and to their professional ethical code now
have a new web-based course on human rights and ethics to help
them.
The course, developed by the Norwegian Medical Association and
launched by the World Medical Association, is designed to assist
doctors working in prisons by raising their awareness of their
role in identifying abuse and torture, and by assisting them in
dealing with human rights violations. It is one of several WMA
programs to assist and guide physicians and others in the appro-
priate care of vulnerable populations.
Among the dilemmas addressed by the course are cases where doc-
tors:
. are asked to declare prisoners fit for punishment, such as
solitary confinement;
. are asked to examine shackled patients;
. are unsure whether and to whom to report cases of abuse or
torture in prison;
. are under pressure to witness restraint of violent prisoners;
. are under pressure from the authorities not to refer prisoners
to clinics outside the prison;
. are under pressure to share prisoners' medical records or con-
fidential health status with non medical staff.
The course is accessible from http://lupin-nma.net and is ac-
credited by the Norwegian Medical Association with 12 hours in
postgraduate and continuing training for all specialties and
those physicians who complete it will receive a course certifi-
cate. No course fee will be charged for those who want to com-
plete the course."
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A. Odutola
mailto:chpss_abo2@yahoo.com