DUTY OF CARE AND ITS IMPLICATION TO THE MEDICAL PROFESSION IN NIGERIA
Abstract
ABSTRACT
The duty of care is a global ethical and legal principle that governs the behaviour of medical practitioners in the entire world. In Nigeria, it emphasizes the responsibility of medical health professionals to deliver safe, competent, and humane care to patients. This paper critically examines the application and consequences of duty of care in the Nigerian health environment, with reference to its effect on professional conduct, patients' rights, and medico-legal accountability. It looks at how observance of this duty impacts healthcare provision quality, generates patient-practitioner trust, and affects medical malpractice jurisprudence in Nigeria. Furthermore, the study identifies challenges faced by Nigerian healthcare practitioners in fulfilling this duty, including resource issues, infrastructural deficits, and loopholes in the law. The findings accentuate the requirement to build medico-legal frameworks, enhance training in medical ethics, and promote a culture of accountability so as to maintain conformance with the duty of care towards promoting better healthcare outcomes and upholding patient rights in Nigeria.
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