Zolkefli Yusrita
Pengiran Anak Puteri Rashidah Sa'adatul Bolkiah (PAPRSB) Institute of Health Sciences, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Brunei Darussalam.
Malays J Med Sci. 2022 Feb;29(1):157-160. doi: 10.21315/mjms2022.29.1.17. Epub 2022 Feb 23.
We recognise that the death of a child is one of the most difficult events a family can experience. The article is based on a tragedy that occurred last year near Gunung Lang in Perak, Malaysia, in which a mother was the only survivor of a road accident in which she lost three young sons. It was reported that the husband, who was not involved in the crash, wanted to tell her about the loss. This raises two important moral questions: first, who would be the best person to break the news of the children's death; second, what would be the healthcare professional's ethical responsibility in advocating for and supporting the best interests of the bereaved parents? The case illustrates the need for further ethical reflection by healthcare professionals while supporting bereaved parents. Healthcare professionals must also be sensitive to their ethical responsibility to promote the best interests of grieving parents, which reflects higher vulnerability for bereaved parents.
我们认识到,孩子的死亡是一个家庭可能经历的最艰难的事件之一。本文基于去年发生在马来西亚霹雳州瓜拉江附近的一场悲剧,在这场车祸中,一位母亲是唯一的幸存者,她失去了三个年幼的儿子。据报道,未参与此次车祸的丈夫想告知她孩子去世的消息。这引发了两个重要的道德问题:第一,谁是告知孩子死亡消息的最佳人选;第二,医疗保健专业人员在倡导并支持失去亲人的父母的最大利益方面有哪些道德责任?该案例表明,医疗保健专业人员在支持失去亲人的父母时需要进行进一步的伦理思考。医疗保健专业人员还必须敏锐地意识到他们促进悲伤父母最大利益的道德责任,这反映出失去亲人的父母更容易受到伤害。