World Medical Association Urges More Support For Doctors Resisting Pressure To Condone Torture

National Medical Associations have been urged by the World Medical
Association to do more to support and protect doctors who are being
pressured to condone or participate in cruel, inhuman or degrading
procedures, or even acts amounting to torture.


At its Council meeting in Berlin, WMA delegates expressed concern about
continuing reports of doctors, particularly those working with prisoners,
who face pressure to violate medical ethics, as expressed in a number of WMA
Declarations. Doctors are often forced to keep silent or condone unethical
situations, not knowing where to seek support.


Dr Edward Hill, chair of the WMA, said: 'We need to do all we can to support
and protect doctors who are resisting these pressures and we are anxious to
ensure that our national medical association members do their utmost to help
these doctors in the difficult situations they face.


'It is a regrettable fact that in the ten years since the WMA adopted the
Declaration of Hamburg which expressed support for doctors refusing to
participate in, or to condone, the use of torture or other forms of cruel,
inhuman or degrading treatment, these abuses have continued to be reported
throughout the world and doctors have continued to face unacceptable
pressure. We urge medical associations to use the Declaration of Hamburg as
an aid in resisting these pressures.'


The full text of the Declaration of Hamburg can be found on the WMA's
website: wma/e/policy/c19.htm


The World Medical Association is the independent confederation of national
medical associations from more than 80 countries and represents more than
eight million physicians. Acting on behalf of patients and physicians, the
WMA endeavours to achieve the highest possible standards of medical care,
ethics, education and health-related human rights for all people.


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