The Hippocratic Oath

All of us have had to run to Doctors, either for ourselves or someone we know. And with each encounter, we realize more and more how much one needs to trust this human inorder to be cured. It doesn't take a Doctor holding a knife in their hand to make you realize that your life, literally depends on them.

But in the current time and age, where no profession seems to have a moral compass or any kind of scruples in making the best possible money in each case, I wonder why all of us seem to come down so heavily on the medical fraternity, especially doctors. 

Oh yes, they directly deal with a person's life and well being, but I am yet to come across any doctor who intentionally kills their patients by administering a more expensive test/medication. And I am not referring to negligence here, which is more an issue related to the Doctor's quality/reliability.

More importantly, most other professions also affect life in similar ways. A drunk driver let off by the cop with a bribe is more likely to end up in an accident in the near future. An engineer who has passed a building with insufficient foundation strength will lead to the building collapsing. However, no one seems to object to all these people.

The problem is not the specific professionals, but the overall shift in attitude from Wanting to do the Right thing to Wanting to do what one wants, whatever it takes. This shift in morality, of not seeing the need in trying to do the correct thing is what is the trigger.

Greed and Ambition always existed. But the means to the end is not being given much thought nowadays.

So here it is, the much debated Hippocratic Oath, which seems to be relevant for every profession... Please try and apply it to whichever field you are working in.. and some day, let us hope to see the change..

I swear by Apollo the Healer, by Asclepius, by Hygieia, by Panacea, and by all the gods and goddesses, making them my witnesses, that I will carry out, according to my ability and judgment, this oath and this indenture.

To hold my teacher in this art equal to my own parents; to make him partner in my livelihood; when he is in need of money to share mine with him; to consider his family as my own brothers, and to teach them this art, if they want to learn it, without fee or indenture; to impart precept, oral instruction, and all other instruction to my own sons, the sons of my teacher, and to indentured pupils who have taken the physician’s oath, but to nobody else.

I will use treatment to help the sick according to my ability and judgment, but never with a view to injury and wrong-doing. Neither will I administer a poison to anybody when asked to do so, nor will I suggest such a course. Similarly I will not give to a woman a pessary to cause abortion. But I will keep pure and holy both my life and my art. I will not use the knife, not even, verily, on sufferers from stone, but I will give place to such as are craftsmen therein.

Into whatsoever houses I enter, I will enter to help the sick, and I will abstain from all intentional wrong-doing and harm, especially from abusing the bodies of man or woman, bond or free. And whatsoever I shall see or hear in the course of my profession, as well as outside my profession in my intercourse with men, if it be what should not be published abroad, I will never divulge, holding such things to be holy secrets.

Now if I carry out this oath, and break it not, may I gain for ever reputation among all men for my life and for my art; but if I break it and forswear myself, may the opposite befall me.

~Translation by James Loeb