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The Steve Biko Affair: A Case Study in Medical Ethics
Author(s) -
McLean G. R.,
Jenkins Trefor
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
developing world bioethics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.398
H-Index - 27
eISSN - 1471-8847
pISSN - 1471-8731
DOI - 10.1111/1471-8847.00060
Subject(s) - medical ethics , health care , sociology , health professionals , environmental ethics , engineering ethics , law , political science , philosophy , engineering
Steve Biko died in detention in South Africa in 1977. Critical ethical issues are raised both by the conduct of the doctors responsible for Biko's care and by the subsequent response of the medical profession as a whole. Because those issues are relevant to all healthcare professionals everywhere, the Biko affair provides a useful case study in medical ethics. We discuss the case in this article, describing how we use it in our teaching.