Commitment of No Discrimination in Medical Pledges ("To the Gods we shall implore")

pp 564-571

Abstract

The principle of justice, in its present characterization that includes the right to health care, no dis-crimination, fair retribution, and equitable distribution of resources, was not a dominant rule at the time of Hypocrates and consequently, it is not mentioned in the pledge. The current medical issues demand from the professional awareness of the right to health care that all patients equally share. Therefore, the main objective of the paper is to determine if there exists a significant relationship between the Medical Pledges that include the commitment to no discrimination, and the time they were formulated, their origins, sources, and if they are modifications of the Hypocrates' pledge. The second objective is to specify which are the conditions for no discrimination. Of the fifty Pledges that were analyzed, nineteen express this commitment. One of the texts expresses discrimination.The only significant relationship between them was their origin and sources. The conditions most widely mentioned are social class (15 pledges), religion (9), nationality (9), race (8), and ideology (6).  Considering these results, the conclusion is that the principle of justice that includes the commitment to no discrimination has not been present in the Medical Pledges at all times, even so in those that are contemporary and academic. Consequently, no discrimination is a commitment that should be undertaken by physicians despite of any circumstances that could deprive any human being from due health care.