Let’s imagine that you’re a serious patient rushed into a hospital casualty department. Your valuable life is in the hands of a doctor who once swore an oath to ‘do no harm.’
But in today’s healthcare system, is that oath still followed by ethics, or is it just a white coat ceremony?
The Hippocratic Oath is an oath of ethics historically taken by physicians. Its core principles include:
- Do no harm
- Medical confidentiality
- non-maleficence
Do Doctors Still Live by the Oath?
Yes, many do. Many doctors work sleepless nights, risk their lives during COVID-19, and continue to put patients’ lives before personal gain. Their hard work and dedication show that the oath is alive.
But in the case of many doctors, the oath feels more symbolic than practical. Several cases of negligence, favoritism, or lack of compassion are rapidly rising in today’s healthcare system.
Here is the reality of modern medicine:
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Healthcare commercialization: profit-driven medical facilities promote pointless procedures or examinations.
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Pharma influence: marketing tactics have the power to influence prescriptions.
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System vs. ethics: A doctor’s options may be restricted by hospital policies, insurance regulations, and resource shortages.
Perhaps the real question isn’t whether doctors follow the Hippocratic Oath word-for-word, but whether our healthcare system allows them to live up to it. The oath calls for equality and compassion, yet power, privilege, and pressure often distort that vision.
MBH/AB