Journal of Bioethical Inquiry
Volume 15, Issue 1, 2018, Pages 39-44

The Ethics of Discharging Asylum Seekers to Harm: A Case From Australia (Article)

Essex R.* , Isaacs D.
  • a Sydney Health Ethics, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  • b Children’s Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, NSW, Australia, Sydney Heath Ethics, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia

Abstract

In February 2016 a twelve-month-old asylum seeker, who came to be know as Baby Asha, was transferred from Nauru and hospitalized in Brisbane. This case came to public attention after Doctors refused to discharge Asha as she would have been returned to detention on Nauru. What in other circumstances would have been considered routine clinical care, quickly turned into an act of civil disobedience. This paper will discuss the ethical aspects of this case, along with its implications for clinicians and the broader healthcare community. © 2018, Journal of Bioethical Inquiry Pty Ltd.

Author Keywords

Asylum seekers Discharge Refugees Ethics

Index Keywords

refugee Australia hospital discharge Patient Discharge human Refugees Ethics, Medical medical ethics Micronesia Federated States of Micronesia human rights Humans Social Control, Formal social control case report female Infant prison Prisons public policy
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85040943670&doi=10.1007%2fs11673-017-9833-6&partnerID=40&md5=32c66c12935e889262b2d5610024c659
DOI: 10.1007/s11673-017-9833-6
ISSN: 11767529
Cited by: 5
Original Language: English