What Are a Doctors Responsibilities to His Patient?
“First, do no harm.” The Hippocratic Oath for doctors spells out their primary duties in just four words. But what do these words really carry with them? What are the duties of a good doctor? The oath enjoins all doctors to remember that as they carry out their duties to their patients, there exists the potential of causing even more harm than the prevailing condition. It requires them to carefully assess every intervention they carry out over and above a simple process of prescribing pills or repairing injuries. Doctors and medical practitioners are legally and ethically required to respect doctor-patient relations and confidentiality. They are expected to treat information disclosed by patients as essential data to enhance informed treatment and not for public disclosure. The only exception allowed is when withholding such information compromises the health and well-being of the patient or when criminal liability exists if information is not disclosed to the proper authorities. A goo
