A Change to the Modern Day Hippocratic Oath
Dr Sam Hazledine, a Kiwi doctor proposed, and had approved, an amendment to the Declaration of Geneva. This has been unanimously accepted by the World Medical Association.
“I will attend to my own health, well-being, and abilities in order to provide care of the highest standard.”
Hazeldine stressed that “it’s not that we have de-prioritised our patients, it’s that we have now acknowledged one of the most important components to serve them… Doctors haven’t been taking care of their own health because we’ve been operating under the paradigm that we should sacrifice ourselves to look after our patients.”
Dr Hazledine presented a petition, signed by 4500 Australasian doctors, requesting a change to the association a year ago.
Association president Dr Yoshitake Yokokura said: “The new wording respects the unique character and significance of this Declaration, but focuses more on important ethical principles not in the current version and not expressed explicitly.
Original article found here:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11933127
