Dr KK Aggarwal
National President
We are doctors, we are demi Gods, we are next to God, and so we cannot
be inhuman. We not only need to be scientifically and legally correct but also
morally and ethically correct. As doctors, we are supposed to follow two
bioethics principles: non-maleficence (first do no harm) and beneficence
(welfare of all).
Compassion is inherent to our profession as are compassionate doctors.
Compassion should be demonstrated in practice as much as felt. A compassionate
attitude in practice is more important than the science. Poor, inconsiderate
and uncompassionate communication is the reason why most patients sue.
The etymology of "compassion" is Latin, meaning
"co-suffering." Compassion involves "feeling for another"
and is a precursor to empathy, the "feeling as another".
Compassion is considered in almost all the major religious
traditions as among the greatest of virtues.
But, it is not the same as empathy or altruism. While
empathy refers more generally to our ability to appreciate the perspective of
and feel the emotions of another person, compassion is when those feelings
and thoughts include the desire to help.
Altruism is the kind, selfless behavior often prompted by feelings
of compassion, though one can feel compassion without acting on it, and
altruism isn’t always motivated by compassion.
Today, everybody wants to regulate us. If we are demi Gods we do not
need a regulator. God regulates others. We the medical professionals need to
wake up and adopt and abide by the IMA self-regulation policies and also
regulate policies for the corporate.
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