Analysis Of The Case Of Mary Mallon In Terms Of Ethical Issues
Every field has its own set of ethics that govern all practitioners. The same applies to the medical field. Every patient has the right to receive services freely without any intimidation or a violation of their rights by any authority in the healthcare sector. However, there have been cases of patients who received unfair treatment and harassment while in the hands of medical practitioners. Some faced discrimination on the basis of their race, gender or age. This essay analyzes the story of Mary Mallon and highlights their ethical misconducts of health officers who handled her. Explain the ethical question and explain why it is a question that needs to be analyzed. Why is this specific question one that society must analyze? (minimum 2 paragraphs)
The ethical question under study is how medical practitioners ought to handle patients. The law allows each patient to be protected by the hospital officers, receive just and fair treatment for their ailments. However, this has not always been the case in most hospitals. There have been patients who complain of mistreatment and negligence while in hospitals. Tragically this indicates a drop in the moral values of the doctors and nurses who are entrusted with the lives of innocent citizens. The case of Mary Mallon is proof that the ethics standards have declined in the health institution. Ranging from her first encounter with the health officers to her detention in Long Island, Mary underwent trauma she was never meant to encounter (Richardson 142). This in contrast to treatment granted to other patients within the city and the hospital. Also, they subjected her to medical examinations contrary to her will thus violating her conscience. These incidences serve to highlight the essence of analyzing the moral standards within health institution. Using the 8 Key Questions, which ones do you find the most important when analyzing this particular question? Explain why you chose each question. Do not discuss all 8 questions, only discuss the ones that you feel are the most important to this issue. (minimum 2 paragraphs)The facet of fairness stands out from the case of Mary Mallon.
First, she was unaware of her condition and thus a proper approach by the health officer would have softened her heart and offer her stool for examination without any objection. It was not fair for the officers to hunt her down and force her to undergo the medical examinations. Also, it was unfair of them to brand her the course of the illnesses in the town while it was clear there were other carriers in the city. For example, Tony Labella was responsible for 122 cases of typhoid and five deaths yet nothing much was spoken about him (Richardson 142). Unlike Mary, Labella was handed a two weeks detention. All these reveal a level of biases and discrimination towards Mary by the health officers. They did either due to her social class, racial background or gender but nevertheless, it was a form of injustice. Fairness is a virtue that should be present in any public institution especially hospitals. Patients should enjoy services by been equal opportunities with other patients. Clearly, the health officers handling Mary Mallon failed in this respect.
Discuss your viewpoint on this issue and how your answers to the 8 Key Questions influenced your thought. (minimum 2 paragraphs)Typhoid is a disease that is spread via contaminated food or water and George Soper was right on this point. Hence he required stool and blood samples to justify his suspicion regarding Mary Mallon as a typhoid carrier responsible for the typhoid outbreak that hit Henry warren’s family (Leavitt 77). Like many girls of her age, Mary was ignorant of the possibility of being a carrier without falling sick. Thus it was within her rights to resist Soper’s approach at first. On his side, Soper should have taken his time and explain the condition to her without appearing to force anything on her. Evidently, many people die out of ignorance simply because they lacked sufficient information or awareness concerning their conditions. Also, the approach applied when creating awareness on sensitive situations like that of Mary Mallon determines the response the infected person gives to the educator. By George approaching Mary at her place of work was disrespectful not only to her but also her employers. Together with Doctor Hobbler, they should have adopted a calm approach towards Mary being professionals in their jobs (Leavitt 86). At this point, they failed to exhibit any medical ethics in their profession. How have your life experiences influenced the formation of your viewpoint and your answers to the 8 Key Questions? Be specific. (minimum 2 paragraphs)Incidentally, several cases are reported concerning mistreatment of patients by nurses and doctors.
For example, there have been stories of patients who were pronounced dead but doctors kept under the intensive care or life-supporting machines. Such incidences highlight not only the greed in the management of such hospitals but also how cruel such acts are towards family members of the deceased. It is unfair to subject families or friends of the deceased to unwarranted medical bills. In other cases, social classes influence such actions where the rich are attended first while the poor are left to languish in their illnesses. This action represents a moral decline that should be present in hospitals. The law provides an equal ground for all patients to be accorded health services without any prejudice. Thus, it is quite unfair to offer quality services to some and neglecting others. Racial background, age, gender or even social class should never be used to determine the quality of medical services patients receive in hospitals. Once such levels of fairness are availed, the negative image of hospitals will be erased from the minds of affected patients.
What factual evidence supports your viewpoint? Explain this evidence. (minimum 2 paragraphs)While the confrontation between Baker, the police and Mary Mallon reveals cruelty towards a helpless patient, it also points out the unfair treatments directed towards her. The confrontation and the constant approach by Soper convinced Mary that the health officers had an ill motive towards her and hence she vehemently resisted them each time they sought her out (Witucki, Lindsay and David 478). While such a notion may not be justified seeing that Soper was right in his hypothesis, it is worth noting that his approach breached the medical ethical code. Following medical examinations where her stool, urine and blood samples were collected, Mary was placed in detention on an isolated island. This isolation was more traumatizing than typhoid infection and consequently, she experienced several mental breakdowns. In instances where a patient is quarantined, it is right to explain the situation to them to avoid the mental torture most patients undergo in isolation.
Thus, the Willard Parker Hospital management failed in this aspect. Which stakeholders support your viewpoint and how do their answers to the 8 Key Questions influence their viewpoint? Explain their stake in this issue. (minimum 2 paragraphs)Mary Mallon believed she was been falsely persecuted and ostracized for reasons she knew not. To some extent, she was right because little was known about typhoid and how it was spread. Thus, it was the mandate of the health department to educate her and other citizens concerning the spread of typhoid before making the forceful arrest on her (Ford 194). For example, while typhoid was primarily via contaminated food or water, it was not yet known that it could be spread through unhygienic food handling such using unclean hands. Also, she was vilified and tagged Typhoid Mary which tarnished the public perception towards her since everybody now only saw her as a disease carrier. This tag further increased the mental torture she was already undergoing. Through her encounter with the health officers, Mary Mallon was never at liberty to express herself. This denied her the chance to know more about her condition as a typhoid carrier. Such mistreatment eventually pushed her to disregard her agreement with the health administrator concerning her job as a cook. Also, high poverty levels and discrimination made her life miserable and this contributes her adopting a pseudonym in order to get a good job.
Once more, when she rearrested, no one gave her the chance to explain herself before she was sent into isolation again. If your viewpoint was accepted by society, what would be the implications and consequences (both good and bad) for each of the stakeholders and all of society? (minimum 2 paragraphs)In the event that fairness and justice were rightly administered, the situation of Mary Mallon and the health officers would drastically change. For instance, Mary would receive similar treatment to Tony Labella since they both suffered from the same condition. The story of Mary Mallon is a perfect illustration of cases of medical officers mistreating a patient (Witucki, Lindsay and David 480). As a foreigner, she faced difficulties getting employment as a cook which was a well-paying domestic job. Unfortunately, she was a typhoid carrier, something she was unaware of for years, and a result she spread the disease to many people some who succumbed to the illness.
On the other hand, the hospital authorities did more harm to her than good. It is apparent that they were wrong in their treatment towards her, unlike other typhoid carriers. It is apparent that her origin, gender, and social class form the basis of their attitude towards her. Also, it was the medics handling her that left an infamous memory of her and the tag they gave her, Typhoid Mary. Thus, if reformations were implemented, such leaders would have either to face the consequences of their actions of tarnishing the image of the health department in the city. Describe viewpoint(s) on the issue that differ from yours. Explain the facts, stakeholders, and their responses to the 8 Key Questions that support the opposing viewpoint(s). Discuss the implications and consequences of each of the difference viewpoints were accepted by society. (minimum 3 paragraphs)Stakeholders like the judge and the health officers differ with the issue of fairness as portrayed in the story of Mary Mallon.
According to the hospital administrator, they followed the law when apprehending her (Ford 196). Therefore they were innocent of any wrongdoing. The judge sentenced her to isolation in Long Island based on the evidence tabled by the medics without considering her appeals to be heard. Had the judge considered her appeal, stories of patients like Tony Labella would have emerged and consequently Mary would have been awarded a lenient sentence. As a result of the viewpoints of the health administrator and the judge, Mary Mallon was subjected to unfair conditions for reasons she could not comprehend. This is contrary to medical ethics for health practitioners on handling patients. The image of the institution was tarnished once it became clear that Mary had been treated unfairly since she was not the only typhoid carrier in the city. Contrastingly, her situation paved way for people to learn more about typhoid and prevention measures such as maintaining a proper hygiene. 0verall, the treatment accorded to Mary Mallon was a violation of the human rights and work ethics for medical practitioners. Mary was guilty of spreading typhoid but she should never have been subjected to the mental torture she endured, first during the initial confrontations with the health officers and later on in isolation. Also, she never deserved the tag Typhoid Mary that has remained to her infamous identity.
