Ethical Issues of Disaster Medicine: Taiwan's Experience of Typhoon Morakot

Abstract

In Taiwan, there are sufficient supplies and well-trained medical professional manpower to be mobilized during disasters. Also known and famous in the world are Taiwan's well established and fully equipped medical delivery system and the public health system. These are high level, enthusiastic, experienced medical staff. However, vulnerable areas subjected to disasters in Taiwan are often located at the remote mountain sites, and most victims are aboriginals. These people are viewed as marginalized with inferiority within the power hierarchy. This study surveyed the conflicts of public health administration during Typhoon Morakot disaster in 2009. Since disasters destroyed local endogenous social relationships, the rescue actions of mobilization and postdisaster reconstruction were under the exogenous efforts with “mercy” hegemony. Ethical issues came from the power struggle and practice, and all showed explicit control and suppression characters.