Scenario 1

• A patient presents at a hospital complaining that she cannot hear properly with her right ear. Her right ear is examined by an ear specialist who says that it is diseased and must be operated on. The patient signs a consent form agreeing to an operation on her right ear. During the operation the specialist examines the left ear and discovers that it is even more infected than the right ear. Without reviving the patient to discuss it with her, the specialist also operates on the left ear. After she recovers from the operations, the patient discovers that her hearing in her left ear has been impaired as a result of the operation. Hearing impairment was a risk inherent in such an operation

–Did the specialist comply with the informed consent requirements of the Ghana Patient’s Charter? Why or why not?

–Did the specialist comply with the South African law regarding the disclosure of ‘material risks’ when obtaining an informed consent. Why or why not?