Importance of the Hippocratic Oath

Any medical professional knows that there is something as important as the Hippocratic oath. It starts from a very intimate and ethical personal decision that makes the professional dedicate his work to serving his patients and to handle himself with morality and ethical values ​​in his practice. In some places, the oath is more present or mandatory and in others it is optional.

The story behind the Hippocratic Oath takes us back to Ancient Greece and the development of medicinal practices that grew

We know that Ancient Greece has historically been the cradle of many of the elements that we have in our daily lives. One of them has also been medicine, although it was already practiced in the Near and Far East, it was in Greece where it gained a splendor never seen before.

Hippocrates was a Greek physician from the 5th century BC. c. who practiced his profession on the Island of Cos, in Greece. This doctor was a high-end professional, largely establishing an entire philosophy complex about the

nutrition of the body and also many of the current practices of hygiene and healthiness of medicine. The oath established by this Greek health professional is believed to have been a legacy to his disciples in order to stimulate them to carry out a practice of medicine around ethical values ​​and morals.

The work of a health professional must permanently refer to the different statements of this oath

The current official text of the Hippocratic oath is extensive and has varied in one way or another over time. While the document original (and for a long time after as well) swore by some Greek gods like Apollo, nowadays it focuses more than anything on the moral duties of a medical professional. In this sense, one of the most important things mentioned is the predisposition of the doctor who is committed to carrying out his task without distinguishing between his patients by race, color, religion, party or origin.

This ethical structure was largely what made medicine end up becoming a highly noble activity, since in addition to what it implies (basically, saving lives), it also represents the need to act appropriately according to ethical parameters, not allowing fear or uncertainty to win and always having the general well-being of the public as its final objective. patient.

Images: Fotolia. Antonio Diaz / Lenets_tan