The Hippocratic Oath and hypocritical oaths

 

From Dr Venugopal Balchand

I have often wondered how it would be if the leadership of this country was held to the same standards of accountability that must be followed by the average Malaysian doctor.

The average Malaysian doctor has to be punctual, caring, compassionate, up to date in medical knowledge, rapid in assessing the clinical situation, skilled in therapeutic procedures, always keep the patient’s best interest at heart, and be liable for the slightest of errors; all while working up to an exhausting 18 hours a day, often disregarding basic needs like food and nature’s calls.

Maybe the Hippocratic Oath helps in keeping most physicians honest. The gist of the oath is: “I swear to fulfill, to the best of my ability and judgement this covenant: I will respect the hard-won scientific gains of those Physicians in whose steps I walk and gladly share such knowledge as is mine with those who are to follow.”

Young doctors recite this oath at their graduation with sincerity, determination, and affection.

Then there are some, outside the medical profession, who take hypocritical oaths!

As a clinician, I feel that what ails this country the most is not the creeping of religion into everyday activities, or the cancer of corruption that eats into what semblance of integrity is left in our moral fibres or the pain and short-sightedness of an outdated and inadequate education system.

In one word, the ailment is Hypocrisy!

Why do we preach one thing and without batting an eyelid, do the exact opposite? Is it because we do not have the courage to stand by our convictions? Or worse still, do we not have any convictions at all?

You could be forgiven for equating hypocrites to liars. And I have always believed that leadership is an opportunity, not an opportunistic endeavour.

Francois de la Rochefoucquld said, “Hypocrisy is a tribute vice pays to virtue”.

This beautiful country of ours has been plagued and gripped by that vice for far too long. It is time for virtue to raise her beautiful head and show Malaysians the rewards of honest hard work and proper planning.

Most of us discerning people of this nation were not born yesterday.

I find it rather amusing when, on the eve of an election, we are given a lecture about eradicating corruption – by people alleged to have stolen huge sums of money, or who have been accused of, or even convicted, of such an offence.

Or when people who swear by our national education system send their own children overseas to a reputable institution of learning.

When people who espouse the need for religious and cultural tolerance, acceptance, and harmony do not grab the few opportunities to showcase that in person. Or when you spend decades championing proper governance and slip up at early instances to show that you mean business.

Errors of judgement or hypocrisy?

We have all been hypocrites at some point in our lives. For years I would tell my patients not to smoke, to reduce their risk of heart disease or lung cancer while myself enjoying seven cigarettes a day, back in the 90s when cigarettes used to be sold in rather cute packs of seven.

But somewhere along the line, I decided not to be such a blatant hypocrite. I have not had a single puff since Dec 15, 2008.

It just shows that hypocrisy is an acquired art. You can unlearn it as easily as you learn it. And for us Malaysians, the time is now!

Let us not underestimate the power of words. They evoke as much as they disappoint. Not meaning what you speak about, write or champion, is a huge disservice to society.

And yes, we did have a doctor look after our country for a very long time. I have often wondered which oath he would have held close to his chest. - FMT

Dr Venugopal Balchand is an FMT reader.

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT