There exists a profound connection between the practice of medicine and the utility of human rights. Bobby Eugene Presley's arrest presents the two premises of the legal obligations for both the patients and the medical fraternity. First, his reluctance to take his Tuberculosis (TB) medicine is a provision of patients’ right to refuse treatment. Similarly, the situation also presents the legal obligation of medical assistants like doctors to operate only under the patient's consent before proceeding with the care or treatment. Lastly, his arrest and detention present the exemptions' framework to the patient’s right to refuse treatment under special circumstances, for example, if the disease is under consideration contagious. Additionally, the medical practice is also guided by utilitarian ethical values. The detention of Bobby presents several of these values. Firstly, his arrest and isolation remove the infectious disease's threat to the general community, which is consistent with the common good ethics. Participation ethic is also portrayed when people who came into contact with him are urged to get tested to prevent further disease spread.
Appropriate interventions are available to handle patients who refuse to consent to medical treatment, such as the TB treatment presented in the case—firstly, counselling the patient about the dire risks to both himself/herself and the community and the benefits of the treatment. The medical assistant should also investigate to know the basis of the patient's hesitation to take the treatment. Advisably, the medical assistant, should also work together with the patient to evaluate the possible options for overcoming the concerns. However, if the patient remains reluctant, he/she should be notified of the impending consequences, for example, involuntary isolation or detention, despite their right to refuse treatment. The intervention, if correctly undertaken, should enable the patient to accept medical treatment voluntarily.
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Bobby Eugene Presley's arrest violates the order for detention for isolation to control or treat infectious diseases. The order involves the detention of the patient inside an appropriate health facility; however, he is reportedly placed behind bars in the case. Conceivably, the cell is not a properly isolated facility regarding his contagious infection, and he cannot be able to receive the necessary medical care while in the cell effectively. Bobby Eugene Presley has the right to refuse medical treatment for his tuberculosis condition. While in isolation in an appropriate health facility, he poses no threat to other individuals, and as a result, no legal obligation can be used to breach his right to refuse the treatment.
