On the agenda: Ethics in global surgery
The two-day Global Surgery Conference on October 4-5 in Stockholm combines several aspects in the field of global surgery. You will be able to meet and interact with professionals within surgery and anaesthesia from all over the world.
This event is all about having a diverse group of clinicians, students and researchers come together and listen, talk, reflect and network with peers who all share an interest in the area of Global Surgery. An amazing group of speakers at the forefront of Global Surgery will share their invaluable experience in the field from both, clinical work and research. One of the topics on 5th October are on Ethics and the moderator will be Stefan Einhorn, Consultant oncologist and Professor of Oncology.
Ethics of Global surgical care delivery and research: the LMIC perspective
Speaker: Roy Nobhojit, India. Consultant General Surgeon and Health systems Consultant
International travel, studies and work is practiced by many. There are many dilemmas and pit falls. History tells us that results have not always been what had been expected even when intentions are good. Likewise, collaborations with colleagues in low- and middle income countries have not always lead to benefits in the study countries. This talk will be provocative and will challenge us to see the world from a different angle.
The ethics of task sharing of major surgical procedures from the Sierra Leonean perspective
Speaker: Dr Martha Forde trained at the College of Medicine and Alied Health Sciences in Freetown, Sierra Leone. She is now a registrar in surgery. Her interests lie on orthopaedic surgery
In several countries where surgeons and doctors are not enough to meet the needs for surgical care in the population, another group of health care professionals have emerged. In Sierra Leone, they are called SACHO. They receive a three-year training programme in surgery focusing on common surgical and obstetric conditions that require surgical intervention for their treatment. Research is showing that introducing this level of health care professionals has lead to increased volumes and accessibility even in rural settings where most people live. In this talk we will hear about task sharing in surgery from the perspective of a future surgeon who is already sharing patients and workload with SACHOs.
Gender equality in surgery – where do we stand?
Speaker: Rebecka Hultgren, Sweden. Consultant vascular surgeon, associate professor of vascular surgery
During the past year, we been faced with reports of unequal treatment of women and men in surgery. Why surgical disciplines seem to be worse than other medical fields has been debated. Discrimination is illegal in many countries and unfair practice carries a cost to the individual but it is also a high price to pay for society. In this talk we will hear about gender based discrimination in surgery. We will also hear about possible solutions and what society will gain from a system that is fair to all.
International Organisations and Global Surgery – the ICRC example
Speaker: Andreas Wladis, Sweden. Consultant general surgeon. Professor of traumatology. Chief Surgeon at the International Committee of the Red Cross
The ICRC is active in some of the worlds poorest nations providing health care and surgery to vulnerable populations. The unavoidable power imbalance between health care provider and the patient as well as the need to consider the safety of the personell carries ethical implications. In this talk, we will hear about how ethics is at the centre of work carried out by international organisations.
Panel discussion – what is the value of a human life?
In this panel debate, Professor Einhorn will lead us through the discussion about how a human life can be valued. Is the value universal or does it depend on where we are born and live? How come that millions can be invested into interventions of limited value in terms of quality of life and life expectancy while the most basic and life saving care is unavailable to others? Prof Einhorn will present ethical dilemmas and the panel will suggest how to handle them. The audience will also be welcomed to share their ideas.