Hippocrates wrote an oath for Physicians circa 350-370 BC. Medicine in those times was considered a holy service meant to heal the sick and not a profession. With time medicine became a profession and monetary benefit for the work done became an accepted norm. Doctors came under normal laws of the land. The application of the Consumer Protection Acts to Medicare redefined the status of doctors to ordinary vendors/service providers and their demi-god status was taken away.
Patients were no longer patients but consumers. Of late, doctors are being labeled as criminals, cheats, swindlers and what not. Doctors are on media trial almost daily for botched up surgeries, financial frauds, seeking commissions/incentives from drug companies/labs and misconduct, amongst other things. The reputation pendulum of doctors has swung from being good-doers to evil devils. It is time we introspect our…
