President: Dr K.F. GUNNING (Holland)
Vice-President: Prof. Dr G. HERRANZ (Spain)
Treasurer: Dr S.K. ERNST (Germany)
General Secretary: Dr Ph. SCHEPENS (Belgium)
Hon. Vice-Presidents:
Prof. Dr A.F.A. MASCARENHAS (India)
Dr Herbert RATNER (USA)
Dr H. LAFONT (France)
Dr S. ERNST (Germany)
Regional Coordinators:
For East Asia: Dr J. LIM (Singapore)
For Africa: Dr TSHIBANGU MUKA (Zaire)
For Latin America: Dr N.M. GREGORINI (Argentina)
For East Europe: Dr A. LISEC (Croatia-Yugoslavia)
It is an affiliation of medical doctors throughout the world who support the traditional medical ethic of service to the life and health of their patients. There are members in more than 70 countries and membership numbers over 350,000 (situation 1995).
Why was the Hippocratic Oath Reformulated?
The Nuremberg trials demonstrated that some doctors had decided that certain human beings were of less value than others (because of race, religion, handicap, age, infirmity etc.), hence it was not unethical to experiment on and to kill them. To ensure that doctors would never again be diverted from their proper function, the code of ethics was reformulated as the Declaration of Geneva 1948. Also on December 10th the United Nations formulated the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Article 3 ("Everyone has the right to life..") reinforces the Medical Declaration of Geneva.
Why was the Federation founded?
Dutch doctors with their experience of the necessity to dissent from the Nazi "Physicians' Bureau" and its social hygiene measures, saw that traditional service to life was endangered. Social policies of population control being planned by the U.N. World Population Conference in Bucharest in August 1974 would include abortion, euthanasia and eugenics. The Federation was founded at an International Congress in Holland in June 1974, and a submission was made to the Bucharest Conference on behalf of 70,000 doctors.
Yes. The Hippocratic tradition is a safeguard for patients. To respect it is more necessary than ever, because:
1. The Hippocratic Oath (as formulated in the Declaration of Geneva) is no longer part of the teaching and of the graduating ceremony of the Medical Schools in most universities.
2. "Anti-life" laws in many countries have undermined the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Declaration of Geneva. The British Abortion Act of (October 27th 1967) and the Decision of the U.S. Supreme Court (January 22th 1973) are flagrant examples for this. Such legislation causes a resurgence of a philosophy that the life of some humans is of less value than that of others, and that one could dispose more or less freely of them.
A new kind of ethics is being created and pushed forward as "good medical practice". Doctors and other medical personnel who oppose this are being discriminated against.
The purpose of the profession is to serve man's basic need of health. Thisneed is universal. It transcends societies, cultures, boundaries. The Hippocratic code was founded to ensure that medicine would remain true to its purpose of healing and promoting health, NOT death.
Permissive abortion Laws which include Eugenics have re-introduced the theories of Social Darwinism; that human progress depends on "survival of the fittest", hence doctors have a duty to kill the "weak" both before and after birth, particularly those they cannot cure. Pressure to legalise "voluntary" and involuntary euthanasia is unceasing. Neonates with malformations have been sedated and starved. The lives of the aged and people with chronic and progressive illness, those with physical or mental disabilities, those in coma are now threatened. Also Human Genetics has now embraced eugenics, with pre-natal detection and abortion as a primary aim, in case handicaps are detected in the unborn.
At the time of being admitted as a Member of the medical profession I solemnly pledge myself to consecrate my life to the service of humanity : I will give to my teachers the respect and gratitude which is their due; I will practise my profession with conscience and dignity; The health and life of my patient will be my first consideration; I will respect the secrets which are confided in me; I will maintain by all means in my power, the honour and the noble traditions of the medical profession; My colleagues will be my brothers : I will not permit considerations of religion, nationality, race, party politics or social standing to intervene between my duty and my patient; I will maintain the utmost respect for human life, from the time of its conception, even under threat, I will not use my medical knowledge contrary to the laws of humanity; I make these promises solemnly, freely and upon my honour...
The Second General Assembly of the World Medical Association 1948.
..We discontinued our membership in the Dutch Medical Society ... to
express our conviction that the function of the physician is born of
his own high moral and spiritual norms and ... should be free from political
control
.. The Physician is the undisputed protector of two holy and precious
values; the respect of life, and charity towards the sick human being.
From time immemorial the vocation of the physician has been a vocation of
confidence ... a priestly vocation. The physician ... realises the
smallness of his knowledge in the face of the magnitude of the mystery
of life, suffering and death ... We do not deny that social hygienic
measures constitute part of the task of the physician; we can recognise the duty only insofar as it proceeds from and is not in conflict with the first and holiest precept of the physician ... the respect for life and for the
physical well-being of the individual ...
The Netherlands in Time of War. Vol.II Translated by Conrad W.Baars, M.D.
"This World Federation of Doctors Who Respect Human Life
- States that each human life is sacred, is unique and of infinite
value from fertilisation to natural death and that one may never end the life of a patient no matter his/her age or illness.
- In accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki (1975), we affirm that
a human being may never be used as an object of experimentation or
exploitation, and
- consider that extracorporeal fertilisation which inevitably involves
experimentation and selection in the youngest human beings, is
therefore unacceptable."
Euthanasia, that is the act of commission or omission with the deliberate intention of ending the life of a patient, even at the patient's own request or at the request of close relatives, is unethical. This does not prevent the physician from respecting the desire of a patient to allow the natural process of death to follow its course in the terminal phase of sickness.
The 39th General Assembly of the World Medical Association, Madrid October 8th 1987.
Please send your gift to :
WORLD FEDERATION of DOCTORS who RESPECT HUMAN LIFE
c/o "International OUARDYE Foundation "
BBL-BANK (Den Haan-Belgium) account nr 380-0054780-46
avoid sending checks with small amounts since the european banks take
more than three quarter of the sum for the costs
Join NOW - our 350,000 colleagues from more than 70 countries in the World! Fight with us for the integrity of our PROFESSIONAL ETHICS.
Sign the declaration here and send it to the secretary of the Federation :
Philippe Schepens MD
General Secretary of the
World Federation of Doctors who Respect Human Life
Serruyslaan 76
B-8400-OSTEND (Belgium-Europe)
fax: 011-32-59-70 74 46
e-mail addresses: Philippe.Schepens@ping.be
From the moment of fertilisation, that is from the earliest moment of
biologic existence, the developing human being is alive, and entirely
distinct from the mother who provides nourishment and protection.
From fertilisation to old age, it is the same living human being who
grows, developes, matures and eventually dies. This particular human being
with his or her characteristics is unique and therefore irreplaceable.
Just as medicine is at the service of life when it is failing, so too
it should serve life from its beginning. It should have absolute respect
for human life regardless of age, illness, disability or degree of
dependence.
When confronted with tragic situations, it is the duty of the doctor to
do everything possible to help both the mother and her child. The
deliberate killing of an unborn human to solve social, economic, or eugenic
problems is directly contradictory to the role of the doctor.
NAME _________________________________________________________
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