Professional ethos – when values clash

In a region affected by ongoing hostilities, a humanitarian aid organisation deployed a eld hospital to treat war-wounded combatants and civilians.The medical staff deployed was made up exclusively of male physicians and nurses. The medical practitioners treated war wounded and civilians at one of the facilities providing the highest standard of care in the region.

A woman, 38-weeks-pregnant, was admitted for an urgently needed Caesarean section. However, her husband refused that male physicians treat her.

The medical team was aware of the cultural context and knew that a female OB/GYN would be the culturally preferred option. However, in the absence of one, the male physicians informed the husband of the urgency to save the lives of his wife and unborn child.

The husband continued to refuse that male physicians treat her and insisted on leaving the hospital. The team was unable to prevent them from doing so, and although the doctors reiterated the urgency of medical intervention and emphasised that the patient would unlikely reach another local facility, the team had no other option but to let them leave.

Afterwards, the team met and discussed the case with their managers who quickly dismissed the issue, stating that the organisation could do nothing to change cultural practices.