Like all service professionals, doctors have a responsibility to protect public interest. Likewise, doctors also have a duty to inform patients’ relative about their predisposition in contracting a disease. If a doctor discovers an inherited condition in a patient, it is important that he informs the family members, so they can take the necessary precautionary measures to prevent themselves from contracting the same, genetic condition. Of course, this means that the doctor, once again, has to breach patient confidentiality, by sharing relevant information which might help others as well. It is for the greater good that doctors should act, and if revealing important information will reduce the risks of others getting infected, then so be it. When people are wounded with a knife, new guidelines set up by the General Medical Council have called on doctors to report the incident, especially if there is a suspicion that a knife crime has occurred. This new guideline places the doctor-patient confidentiality agreement in a precarious situation. Because the police is bent on getting information about crime statistics, and because the public interest is the main concern, doctors might be placed in a situation in which they have to breach the patient’s confidentiality, especially when the patient turns out to not to be the victim, but the perpetrator instead. For example, knife wounds carry with it a lot of suspicious circumstances. How did the patient get the wound? What was he doing? Was it an accident, or was it intended? Normally, it is not the job of doctors and medical professionals to investigate the circumstances of the patient’s condition. But knife wounds could indicate suspicious homicide, suicide or other criminal activity. It is morally wrong to let the person get away with something he intends to do in the future, for in doing so, the doctor has given him an opportunity to place himself and other people at a potential risk to their lives. To protect the public, doctors’ duties should not only be inside his clinic, but should extend outside his hospital or emergency room. Knives are easy weapons to use. One of the most common knives used is an old bowie knife. A Bowie knife is about 6 to 12 inches in length with a width of 2 inches and ¼ inch thick. It sometimes has an intricate design on its handle, and has one of the most durable blades around. A Bowie knife for sale can crop up anywhere, even on Ebay. Besides weapons, knives are also use during camping or hiking trips.
