Code of Ethics for the Ghana Health Service: Scenario 1
- A patient is diagnosed with cancer caused by a melanoma on her foot that will reduce her life expectancy to no more that seven months. Her relatives do not want her to be told about her illness and prognosis, as they do not want her to become upset.
- What should the treatment team do? Are they ethically and legally obliged to inform the patient? Should they comply with the relatives’ request?