Intimate partner violence in Pakistan: Ethical implications in an emergency case

Abstract

In developing countries, the patriarchal social construct, unsatisfactory legal protection, and underlying cultural bias against women have resulted in increasing intimate partner violence, which largely goes unaddressed, undocumented, and unreported in healthcare settings. This case study presents a common scenario of intimate partner violence and carefully analyzes its ethical implications in an emergency case at a tertiary care hospital in Karachi, Pakistan. In this study, basic ethical principles are used to discuss important ethical challenges faced daily by healthcare workers in the medical, social, and legal context. It further highlights the dire need of patient education, safety, and a solid framework for addressing, documenting, and reporting intimate partner violence for healthcare workers.