Professional ethical code of an Orthodox Christian doctor

1. Entity type Lemma
2. Original titleКодекс профессиональной этики православного врача
3. Language term Russian
4. lemma author Asliturk, Miriam
5. lemma category Ethics - Scientific theories and disciplines > Medicine
6. Publication date 28-07-2018
7. lemma work Кодекс профессиональной этики православного врача
8. lemma manifestations Церковь и Биоэтика: Церковно-общественный совет по биомедицинской этике при Московской Патриархии.
9. Keywords Orthodox doctors - Russian Orthodox Church - health care system - eugenics - genetics - abortion - in vitro fertilisation - bioethics - biomedical technology
10. Url Click Here
11. Citations
    1. <p>Кодекс профессиональной этики православного врача (2012). Церковь и Биоэтика: Церковно-общественный совет по биомедицинской этике при Московской Патриархии. Retrieved from: <a href="http://bioethics.orthodoxy.ru/biblioteka/khristianstvo-i-meditsina/263-">http://bioethics.orthodoxy.ru/biblioteka/khristianstvo-i-meditsina/263-</a> </p>
12. Lemma body

    1. In 2012 the Russian Orthodox Church, with the help of a professional organization of Orthodox Christian doctors adopted a recommendatory code of conduct for doctors of Orthodox Christian faith.

       Professional ethics for Orthodox Christian doctors is based on Christian sacred texts and on the Russian Orthodox Church Synod’s documents. Orthodox Christian doctors are to dedicate their lives to the New Testament ideals of love, compassion, mercy, and serving the other. They should also constantly seek improvement of their professional skills. Orthodox Christian doctors must serve patients of all religions, social standing, age, nationality, and political views. Orthodox Christian doctors should never be part of euthanasia procedures, even if the patient demands it. Orthodox Christian doctors have the right not to use treatments that are against their ethics. Orthodox Christian doctors can work at hospitals with different forms of funding. Orthodox Christian doctors cannot forbid the patient to choose another doctor.

       The code maintains that Orthodox Christian doctors must study medicine thoroughly and help to advance science; at the same time they should never use science against their patients’ health. Orthodox Christian doctors should view the interests of a patient as more important than the interests of science and society. They thus cannot participate in medical experiments on people without their consent and should reject new medical biotechnologies when they are unnecessary or harmful to patients.

       Orthodox Christian doctors are to promote health care legislation based on Christian ethics. They have the right not to participate in human organ donation, abortion, sterilization or in vitro fertilization procedures. Orthodox Christian doctors must assume responsibility in using genetic biotechnologies; they are expected to use the latter only for therapeutic goals. They should never participate in any eugenicist manipulations. Orthodox Christian doctors must stick to their professional independence when they participate in court hearings, commissions, consultations; they should reject any attempts of administrative, political pressure from authorities when working with patients, especially with prisoners, military personnel, high ranking officials, and should seek legal aid from lawyers and society in general.