ANYIGBA JOURNAL OF ARTS AND HUMANITIES (AJAH)

Abstract.
The Nigerian medical system has a significant number of trained medical
practitioners, but despite their adherence to the Hippocratic Oath, ethical gaps
persist, contributing to high mortality rates. Patient autonomy and pretreatment
consent are essential components of medical ethics. The Nigerian medical sector
faces challenges in upholding patient autonomy and pretreatment consent, with
many medical practitioners engaging in a “shift-blame game” practice. This leads
to patients being placed in indecisive situations, compromising their autonomy
and potentially resulting in adverse outcomes. The aim of this study is to examine
the ethics of patient autonomy and pretreatment consent in Nigerian medical
sectors, highlighting the challenges and proposing solutions to improve
accountability and responsibility in medical practice. This research is significant
because it sheds light on the importance of patient autonomy and informed
consent in medical practice. It also highlights the need for stricter regulatory
measures to ensure accountability and responsibility among medical practitioners.
It employs a critical analysis of the current state of patient autonomy and
pretreatment consent in Nigerian medical sectors. It examines the “shift-blame
game” practice and its implications for patient care. The study finds that the
“shift-blame game” practice is prevalent among medical practitioners in Nigeria, leading to compromised patient autonomy and potentially adverse outcomes. It
also reveals that inadequate knowledge and inexperience among medical
practitioners contribute to this practice. It concludes that stricter regulatory
measures, including bioethicist and legal approaches, are necessary to improve
accountability and responsibility in medical practice. It proposes the
implementation of robust informed consent procedures and increased
transparency to protect patient autonomy and promote better healthcare outcomes.