April 19, 2024

War or peace, ethics stay the same, says World Medical Assoc

The World Medical Association has announced that it will amend its policy on how doctors should behave in times of armed conflict to emphasis that the ethical standards which they observe in times of peace do not change because of war. This is intended to help doctors behave in an ethical way when they are caught between cooperating with the police or the army and their duty of care to their patients.

The WMA reaffirmed its policy that it is “unethical for physicians to give advice or perform procedures that are not justifiable for the patient’s health care or that weaken the physical or mental strength of a human being without therapeutic justification.”