The Hippocratic Oath
Today I heard two stories. Both concern the same person. One story is heartwarming and the other I leave open.
First story
This woman has terminal cancer but not to her knowledge. Insisting that she consults another doctor, her family obliged. But they were out of funds and to avoid high bills, they secretly talked to the new doctor her condition and requested that no tests be administered. This the doctor agreed.
It happened as planned. They were charged consultation fees plus a (considered high) amount for some pills.
Second Story
The story is about the same woman. One of her regular weekend visitor is a young lady who is in her final year of medical school. L is her name.
L visits on her own initiative. She is not doing this because of some outreach program or some spiritual organization. She does it because she felt it as part of being a doctor, a future one at least. To finance her studies she holds a partial scholarship.
During her visits, she checks on her condition and offers counseling.
The second story is heartwarming. It brings back some hope. More often than not, we hear of young boys and girls who aspire to the profession for the sake of the glamour and money making possibilities. The Hippocratic Oath has been largely forgotten.
I have a few encounters with doctors which have left bad tastes in the mouth. One of them is a surgeon who believes that his time is too precious to offer explanation to the patient’s next of kin. He also feels that they are lesser mortals who are too ignorant to understand any form of medical information. His job is to cut and get paid. Wonder whether he carries that grumpiness when he drives off on his big car. I have had two encounters with him. May he see his ways. Or re-read
The other encounter is with a bone specialist. He is famous for his high charges but since my mother thinks she has a fractured backbone, I reasoned that for his high charges he must be good. Even though I strongly believed it was no more than a pulled muscle.
This doctor charged for first time registration, registration, consultation and a whole battery of tests. No fractured bone was found. I could understand the X-rays but all the other tests which names I cannot remember? The bill broke my bank.
My mother did not improve. Eventually, a visit to her regular physician and a muscle relaxant jab did the job.
Bring back the Hippocratic Oath may not be the answer because the oath is not explicit in this matter of forsaking the nobility of the profession for pure commercial reasons.
Is there hope for the Hippocratic Oath?
Extract of the Oath from Wikipedia
Original, translated into English:[4]
| “ | I swear by Apollo, the healer, Asclepius, Hygieia, and Panacea, and I take to witness all the gods, all the goddesses, to keep according to my ability and my judgment, the following Oath and agreement:To consider dear to me, as my parents, him who taught me this art; to live in common with him and, if necessary, to share my goods with him; To look upon his children as my own brothers, to teach them this art.
I will prescribe regimens for the good of my patients according to my ability and my judgment and never do harm to anyone. I will not give a lethal drug to anyone if I am asked, nor will I advise such a plan; and similarly I will not give a woman a pessary to cause an abortion. But I will preserve the purity of my life and my arts. I will not cut for stone, even for patients in whom the disease is manifest; I will leave this operation to be performed by practitioners, specialists in this art. In every house where I come I will enter only for the good of my patients, keeping myself far from all intentional ill-doing and all seduction and especially from the pleasures of love with women or with men, be they free or slaves. All that may come to my knowledge in the exercise of my profession or in daily commerce with men, which ought not to be spread abroad, I will keep secret and will never reveal. If I keep this oath faithfully, may I enjoy my life and practice my art, respected by all men and in all times; but if I swerve from it or violate it, may the reverse be my lot. |
