Medical DevicesPhysicians Reminded Of Their Ethical Obligations In Relation To Torture And Interrogation
Physicians have been strongly reminded by the World Medical Association
that they are prohibited from participating in or even being present
during the practice of torture or other forms of cruel, inhuman or
degrading procedures.
In a resolution today at its Council meeting in Tel Aviv, Israel, the WMA
reaffirmed its previous policy declarations and approved a resolution
saying that "reports worldwide have alluded to deeply unsettling practices
by health professionals, including direct participation in the infliction
of ill-treatment, monitoring specific methods of ill-treatment and
participation in interrogation processes".
The resolution reiterated WMA guidelines in the Declaration of Tokyo
prohibiting physicians from participating in, or even being present
during, the practice of torture or other forms of cruel, inhuman or
degrading procedures and urged national medical associations to inform
physicians and governments of the Declaration and its contents.
It reaffirmed WMA policy in the Declaration of Hamburg supporting doctors
who refused to participate in or condone the use of torture or other forms
of cruel or inhuman or degrading treatment.
The resolution also reiterated policy on the responsibility of physicians
to denounce acts of torture or cruel or inhuman or degrading treatment of
which they were aware and it urged national medical associations to speak
out in support of these fundamental principle of medical ethics and to
investigate any breach of these principles by their members of which they
were aware.
Dr. Edward Hill, Chair of the WMA, said: "It is quite clear that any
involvement by physicians in torture is fundamentally incompatible with
their role as healers. It violates the essential ethical obligations on
all physicians to "first do no harm" and to respect human dignity. As the
world"s largest association of physicians and the voice of the medical
profession, the WMA will work to ensure that these core principles guide
physicians worldwide."
The World Medical Association