The Hippocratic Oath

The Hippocratic Oath

The world changes constantly, with new technologies, new medical realities and everyday social pressures, the Hippocratic Oath has ceased to be relevant in the 21st century’s medical field. It is understandable that medical practices need to be conformed to varying conditions in the society today to work for the benefit of patients. Some critics say that although the oath has been modified, but its ethical tenets are the same. Although there are some elements of truth in their saying, the existence of abortion and euthanasia today has diluted the bottom-line of the oath. The article cites as of 1993, only 14 percent of such oaths prohibited euthanasia, and only 8 percent prohibited abortion. We can infer from this that many physicians have already abandoned the conduct of the oath. On top of that, the high demand of abortion today further substantiate the point that the Hippocratic Oath has ceased to be a moral force. Unlike the past whereby medicine is the area of expertise of men, today the science of medicine has taken on another level. Dismally, it has become of service for ending lives by assisted suicide, abortion and euthanasia. The ethics of Hippocrates Oath has been eroded as their mantra as stated in the article “First, do no harm” no longer hold true in this context. In this profit-driven society, many doctors have abandoned the Hippocratic Oath and go into the aesthetic line which has good incentives. People going under the knife has become a norm, doctors conforming to the demand of aesthetic surgery is understandable. The article cites as recently as the end of the 19th century, most surgical operations were treacherous affairs that carried a high risk of death. This opposes the oath’s belief of physicians committing to protect life. In a nutshell, Hippocratic Oath is no longer relevant in this ever-changing society. There should still be a set of medical ethical rules but a flexible one to the benefit of patients.

Similar Essays