Multiple choice

You are a ‘vigilance officer’ of a government hospital which always faces acute shortage of beds for indoor treatment of patients. One day you receive a complaint from a patient that he has been denied admission in the cancer department of the hospital while the son of a hospital staff (also suffering from cancer) is being granted admission in the cancer department (on that very day). He pleads to you for intervention. On inquiry you find that there is only one bed vacant in the cancer department, while next vacancy will arise in 3-4 days time. What will be your preferred choice of action?

  1. Admit the staff’s son and recommend the complainant’s admission in another government hospital. This is because union problem will arise if the son of the staff is not given admission.

  2. Admit the complainant and recommend the staff’s son to another government hospital. This is because the complainant threatens to call media if he is denied admission.

  3. Deny admission to both as either way you foresee a problem.

  4. Seek the medical report and input about the urgency of admission of both. Admit the one needing immediate attention while ask the other to wait for 2-3 days.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

2.5 marks for option (d) 1 mark for option (a) or (b) 0 marks for option (c) Rationale/ Reasoning (d) Admitting on the basis of report of medical urgency is the best course, as it has a rationale basis. (a) or (b) Choices ‘a’ or ‘b’ in either case are going to involve charges of favouritisim or succumbing to pressure. Hence they cannot be the most preferred options. (c) Option ‘c’ serves no purpose to anybody. Though it may be seen as not leaning towards any side, in actual it denies treatment to both needy patients. Besides it is not having an appropriate rational basis as option ‘d’ has. Values/ Principles tested To take decisions based on merits, irrespective of factors, like influences, ‘approaches’ and pressures.  

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