PRINCIPLES OF HEALTH SERVICES IN ISLAM

By Omar Hasan Kasule

1.      Preventive medicine has priority over curative medicine

2.      Balance and equilibrium in treatment modalities

3.      The state must ensure a minimum level of health care for all citizens

4.      The community is responsible for health care of the disadvantaged members of society

5.      Medicine is a human service and not a source of wealth

2.1 UNDERSTANDING OF FUNDAMENTALS OF LAW IN MEDICINE (MAQASID & QAWAID)

• For any medical procedure to be ethical, it must conform to and not violate any of the 5 maqasid arranged in order of priority: diin, life, family, mind, and wealth
• The 5 principles of medical care are: intention, certainty, harm, difficulty, and custom.

2.2 ISLAMIC CONCEPTS OF MEDICINE

• Islamic medicine  does not refer to specific treatment modalities
• Islamic medicine is not the same as traditional medicine of any Muslim community
• Islamic medicine is application of Islamic values, paradigms, and laws in the practice of medicin
• Any system of medicine can be Islamized to conform to the values of Islamic Medicine

2.3 ISLAMIC MEDICAL ETHICS & PHYSICIAN ETIQUETTE

The physician must

• Have values, competence, and responsibility.
• Treat the patient with respect and kindness.
• Respect the patient’s right to consent of the incompetent.
• Respect the patient’s right to disclosure and truthfulness.
• Respect the patient’s right to privacy and confidentiality.
• Respect the relation of fidelity towards the patient.

2.4 QUALITY IN ISLAM

• Ihsan, quality, is the third and highest fundamental of our diin after Islam and iman.
• A Muslim is expected to perfect whatever he does, itiqaan.
• The concept of ihsan should be imbued in all operations of the hospital