Ethics in the charging of medical treatment

HAVING spent most of my career serving the people in various government hospitals throughout the country, one of my regrets upon joining the private sector is that I would have less impact now in promoting my pet projects and medical ethics.

There are some stark differences in medical ethics between the government and private sector. In government service, medical ethics are more communication-based, like when do you disclose a patient’s illness to a family member or is it ever acceptable to breach the doctor-patient confidentiality? In the private sector, I think the ethics largely centre around financial issues and their impact on patient care and manage-ment.