Ethical dilemmas in paediatric intensive care in the South African public healthcare sector

Abstract

The shortage of resources in the public healthcare sector in South Africa (SA) means that healthcare providers face difficult choices in terms of rationing of care. This is particularly challenging in paediatrics. This article reviews the ethical and legal issues that arise in this regard. Principlism is the ethical framework most commonly used by clinicians, but perhaps other approaches, such as the ethics of caring, and ubuntu, would be more appropriate for the SA situation.