�An urgent plea to both sides in the Georgian conflict to respectfulness the professional independence of physicians has been made by the World Medical Association.
In an emergency statement, the WMA reiterated its policy on armed conflict that physicians moldiness be given access to patients, aesculapian facilities and equipment and the security needed to carry extinct their professional activities freely. Necessary assist, including unimpeded passage and complete professional independence, must be given.
The statement added that hospitals and health forethought facilities located in the war regions must be respected by combatants and media personnel office. Health upkeep given to the ghastly and maimed, civilians or combatants, cannot be secondhand for diseased publicity or propaganda. The privacy of the tired of, wounded and dead must always be respected.
Dr. Otmar Kloiber, secretary general of the WMA, aforementioned: 'The association has long standing policy stating unequivocally that medical ethics in times of armed dispute is identical to medical ethics in times of peace.
'This means that if, in performing their professional tariff, physicians have conflicting loyalties, their basal obligation is to their patients; in all their professional activities, physicians should adhere to international conventions on human rights, international humanitarian jurisprudence and WMA declarations on medical moral philosophy.
'Governments, armed forces and others in positions of power should comply with the Geneva Conventions to ensure that physicians and other health care professionals can provide care to everyone in need in situations of armed fight. This debt instrument includes a requirement to protect health care personnel.
'We urgently hope that a negotiated peace settlement can be implemented as soon as possible'.
The World Medical Association is the sovereign 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.
World Medical Association
More info
