By Carlos Luis
Secunderabad, Oct 23, 2024: Around 60 Catholic moral theologians from across India have spent three days in Secunderabad, Telangana, to address mounting ethical challenges in the country’s healthcare system.
“Biomedical Ethics: Developments and Challenges in the Indian Scenario” was the theme of the October 18-20 conference of the Association of Moral Theologians of India (AMTI).
Keynote speaker Doctor P. Ranganadham, a renowned neurosurgeon in the state, lamented the erosion of ethical standards in the medical field. The senior consultant in neurosurgery from Aster Prime Hospitals expressed concern over the commercialization of healthcare. He stressed the need to view medicine as a service rooted in compassion, not a profit-driven business.
The doctor commended the government’s Ayushman Bharat initiative for enhancing access to healthcare for economically disadvantaged populations.
Bishop Gerald John Mathias of Lucknow, who inaugurated the event, highlighted the vital role of moral guidance in healthcare, setting the tone for three days of profound reflection.
Bishop Udumala Bala of Warangal, who led the final day’s Mass, emphasized the importance of healthcare professionals upholding ethical principles and urged moral theologians to promote these values amid rapid advancements.
The conference addressed a variety of pressing bioethical issues, including assisted reproductive technologies (ART), surrogacy, euthanasia, and the ethical dilemmas surrounding the withdrawal of life support for terminally ill patients.
Other topics included medical tourism, organ donation, mental health, challenges faced by the transgender community, and the growing role of artificial intelligence in healthcare. Pope Francis’s appeal for a “culture of encounter,” where no individual is marginalized or excluded from medical care, served as a moral compass for the discussions.
The participants highlighted the need for a strong ethical framework to brace these complex issues. They Frequently referred to Pope St. John Paul II’s message from Evangelium Vitae, highlighting the sanctity of human life from conception to natural death as a fundamental ethical principle.
The conference also provided a collaborative space for theologians to share ideas and work towards solutions centred on human dignity and the common good.
The conference organizers expect the insights gathered from the 34th annual meeting to play a significant role in shaping ethical practices in the country’s healthcare sector as it grapples with rapid developments.
It will be good if the AMTI looks at other issues like – clerical sexual abuse, commercialization of education, sexual issues in the Formation Houses, corruption in the church – all from the “morality point of view” and come out with concrete solutions.