It is expedient at this point to state that beneficence does not end at the duty not to cause harm and to do what is beneficial to the patient, a medical practitioner is obligated by ethics to take appropriate steps to ensure that no harm comes to the patient in his care. Despite the fact that he is acting for the benefit of his patient, financial fraud is illegal and beneficence does not justify illegality. A medical practitioner with a patient suffering from kidney problem cannot help the patient commit a financial fraud to secure funds for the purchase of a new kidney and hide under the beneficence obligation. Medical practitioners are to only take actions and decisions that are beneficial to their patients if such action is legal. In Beneficence, a medical practitioner is confined to only take decisions which are legal and not detrimental to others and the medical profession as duties and obligations owed to the general public trumps those owed to private individuals. The Nigerian Medical practice regulatory body has made ample provisions in its guidelines to ensure that its members act and take decisions beneficial to their patients. Beneficence requires medical practitioner to take active decision as well as act with compassion and meticulous in ways advantageous to their patients. Beneficence over the years has taken a firm stand in the profession as it now forms part of the curriculum of medical students in medical schools. The principle of beneficence can be traced back to the ancient Hippocratic Oath, this oath expressly state "Do not harm" with the expediency of this oath to the medical profession, it obviously show how important this principle is to the medical profession. For beneficence to be practicable three germane rules exist do not harm, maximise benefit and minimise possible harm. In medical ethics, beneficence is defined as a principle of ethics which mandates that every medical practitioner in his actions and decisions should take that which is to the benefit of his patients. Literally, beneficence means the legal obligation to do good to others i.e. One of the principles of medical ethics is the principle of beneficence. Medical ethics are principles laid down to govern the conduct and acts of medical practitioner in their dealings with their patients.
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