By Abdul Qadir Qureshi
(Pakistan
News & Features Services)
The practicing doctors have been advised to observe the
principles of the Declaration of Geneva as approved by the World Medical
Association and carry out their duties even while having difference of opinion
with the authorities.
Prof Dr Masood Hameed, President, Pakistan Medical &
Dental Council (PMDC), has clarified that their body didn’t believe in strikes
at the cost of patients, reminding that quite a few deaths have taken place due
to the strikes called by the Young Doctors Association (YDA), who greeted 2014
with a protest and renewed their pledge to get a service structure approved
from the Punjab Government through road protest and boycott of duties.
“The right for a peaceful strike exists in all civilized
societies but calling strikes and not treating patients is unethical and
breaches the Code of Ethics under section 4 & 5,” the PMDC President
declared.
“The duties of physicians include always bearing in mind the
obligation of preserving human life, giving emergency care as a humanitarian
duty unless he is assured that others are willing and able to give such care.
The physicians have a duty to behave gently with their colleagues and
Abstain from enticing patients,” Prof Dr Masood Hameed
emphasized.
He warned that the PM&DC will not compromise on
unethical behaviour of doctors and strongly condemned the YDA and the CPSP for
holding strikes.
"If the YDA calls for a strike and entices violence and
treatment of patients is compromised and any untoward incident occurs the
PM&DC will take appropriate action as per law,” he observed in a press
briefing on January 4.
