Skip to main content

Doctors Angry Over Alleged Proposal To Replace Hippocratic Oath With 'Charak Shapath'

 


what is the news?

  • NMC proposes replacing the Hippocratic Oath with ‘Charak Shapath’ for doctors.
  •  Proposed change likely to come into effect in academic session beginning February 14 .
  • Apart from a new oath, a 10-day mandatory yoga course proposed for medicos.

 Narrative :

  • Hippocratic Oath is a code of ethics universally accepted and sworn by new doctors '.
  • Charaka Shapath' is an oath contained in Charaka Samhita, much akin to the Hippocratic code.
  •  An RSS-affiliated medical body has been informally administering 'Charaka Shapath' for years

 



As per NMC 's proposal- when the first year MBBS students participate in the White Coat ceremony on February 14 to mark the beginning day on their path into becoming physicians, they’ll be reciting Maharshi Charak Shapath that has been pitched by RSS Medical wing – NMO in 2017 and in contrast to an oath known as the Hippocratic Oath that has been used for many years in India



Comments:

whether its good or bad; needy or unnecessary; reasonable or irrational ,this proposal of change of oath  'from NMC Undergraduate board comes  at a time when modern medicine practitioners are already at war with the government over what they call 'Mixopathy' - the attempt to “mix” modern medicine with Ayurveda.

The 58 surgeries that Ayurvedic practitioners are allowed to perform are usually done by the super-specialist surgeons for which one pursues his studies and has to have experience for almost 8 years. Since these subjects are not taught in BAMS curriculum of Ayurveda, it would be disastrous, if these surgeries are performed with half knowledge.

In 2021 another blunder by NMC! The NMC had last year issued a draft regulation on the internship that stated that a week's training must be part of the rotational schedule in any of the Indian systems of medicine or Ayush as an elective. This decision was strongly opposed by the IMA.

Very bad intention of GOI?! 

The intentions, concept and mechanism envisioned by the central govt is clearly announces that the modern medicine and traditional medicines could be integrated in every stage from medical education to medical care, for what ever reasons the govt expressed..

For puritans this concept remains as bad taste in the mouth. Its unnecessary controversy. Its diverted political fiasco. Its RETROGRADE. Its IRRATIONAL.It KILLS PEOPLEIt kills modern as well as traditional medical schools.

suggestion to GOI ?

  • Let each stream thrive on its own policies and principles and ways.
  • If govt want to promote traditional medical streams let it  develop those streams exclusively on their own native principles.

 

The Hippocratic oath, administered to medical students when they transition from pre-clinical to clinical subjects, is an ethical code undertaken by physicians across the world and is believed to have been written by Greek physician Hippocrates.

Replacing Hippocratic Oath with Charak Shapath

The National Medical Commission {NMC} made the suggestion of using the Charak Shapath rather than the Hippocratic Oath on Monday.

The minutes of NMC's discussions with all medical colleges in India, read, “No Hippocratic Oath. During white coat ceremony (with parents) the oath will be 'Maharishi Charak Shapath' present in NMC website.

 The video conference of NMC’s undergraduate medical board that was held on 7 February said reason for putting forward the proposal for replacement of Hippocratic oath with Charak Shapath was that .”Charak belonged to our motherland — oath-taking to be conducted during White Coat Ceremony in local languages/vernaculars.

 Originally written in Sanskrit, but now translated into Hindi and English, a quote from Charak Shapath says, “Not for the self, Not for the fulfillment of any worldly material desire or gain, But solely for the good of suffering humanity, I will treat my patient and excel all.”




with all due respect to Maharishi Charaka, I don't find relevance of so many things in the present world.







There is no harm in introducing charak oath as the essence will be the same to motivate budding doctors to practice medicine ethically. As long as they do not do away with the oath it is fine--- another comment.

Many doctors are expressing concern. I am all in favour of introducing Indian elements into Indian education, but not at the expense of universal values and standards. Why can’t the Charaka Shapath supplement, rather than supplant, the Hippocratic Oath that doctors worldwide take?-- this is congress MP tharoor's opinion.

Though there is no official confirmation of the same purported minutes of the NMC meeting which took the decision has been widely circulated on social media.

This proposal would be discussed in the advisory council, before something like this can go ahead. EVERY THING that belonged to our mother land and tradition need not be opposed as safronization.--- some one in the NMC board's comment!

There are so many things plaguing medical education that NMC should be worried about. Replacing the hippocratic oath with charak shapath should not be one of them. Let this unnecessary symbolism be a playfield for politicians, keep our medical education out of it.

  • Isn’t it another systematic step in blurring the lines between Modern Medicine and Ayurveda by the current government?
  • Changing from Hippocratic Oath to Charak Shapath seems to be so much important to the National Medical Commision rather than dealing with ethics violations, unpaid salary of faculty in private medical colleges, MBBS interns’ stipend issue, substandard medical colleges

Any way this  man made controversy must be taken back!

 

ANDHRA JYOTI 

Comments