This article was writtenan account of a scandal in Russia over the use of fetal tissue for experimentation and for profit. The authors discuss the scandal in the context of present Russian medical practice, and of the role of the National Committee on Bioethics.
Is corruption a necessary part of today's health care system in Russia? That is one of the questions raised in the first paper in the September 1996 Review. The second item is also intended to provoke discussion, being a draft Bill to permit physician assisted suicide. It was drafted by the Voluntary Euthanasia Society who would welcome comments on it. The section ends with summaries of empirical studies.
With the collapse of the Soviet Union, the ethical commitment reflected in the Soviet Oath no longer seemed appropriate. The changes in health care and health care ethics were rapid and dramatic. The Russians adopted a new ethic patterned closely after the Hippocratic Oath. The realities of Russian life have, however, become complex and the ethical positions adopted are similarly complex.
