Taking Hippocratic Oath long-standing practice, should not be abruptly stopped: TMC MP Santanu Sen

"As IMA has said, this (decision to replace the Hippocratic Oath) was perceived as an attempt to promote mixopathy. The medical system cannot be politicized," Dr Santanu Sen said.

TMC MP Santanu Sen said, "For MBBS students, it (taking Charakh Shapath) should be kept optional.

TMC MP Dr Santanu Sen speaks to Kaunain Sheriff M on the National Medical Commission’s proposal of replacing the Hippocratic Oath with Charak Shapath.

Why did you raise the demand for giving the option of the Hippocratic Oath for doctors?

I raised this issue because there was a lot of confusion within the medical fraternity after the National Medical Commission made a suggestion that the Hippocratic Oath taken by doctors during their graduation ceremony should be replaced by a ‘Charak Shapath’. Taking the oath is a long-standing practice and should not be abruptly stopped.

You are part of various official forums of the medical fraternity. Did you also discuss it with NMC?

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Yes. Before raising it in Parliament, I spoke to the chairman of the NMC as well as the president of the medical education board of the NMC. Both did not have a clear answer to the proposal. Later, the IMA said the proposal of replacing the Hippocratic Oath with Charak Shapath was ill-advised.

Explained | Hippocrates, Charaka, and the oath of medical ethics

In your view, why did the proposal trigger a controversy?

For quite a long time, MBBS doctors have been fighting against the menace of mixopathy. But as IMA has said, this (decision to replace the Hippocratic Oath) was perceived as an attempt to promote mixopathy. The medical system cannot be politicized.

What is your view on the proposal to replace the Hippocratic Oath with the Charak Shapath?

First, Ayurveda doctors should continue their tradition — and take Charak Shapath. For MBBS students, it should be kept optional. My personal view is that nothing should be forcefully enforced. Both can co-exist.

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Have you got an assurance the government will not make Charak Shapath mandatory?

Yes. The Health Minister said that nothing will be forced. That taking Charak Shapath will be optional.

Kaunain Sheriff M

Kaunain Sheriff M is an award-winning investigative journalist and the National Health Editor at The Indian Express. He is the author of Johnson & Johnson Files: The Indian Secrets of a Global Giant, an investigation into one of the world’s most powerful pharmaceutical companies. With over a decade of experience, Kaunain brings deep expertise in three areas of investigative journalism: law, health, and data. He currently leads The Indian Express newsroom’s in-depth coverage of health. His work has earned some of the most prestigious honours in journalism, including the Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence in Journalism, the Society of Publishers in Asia (SOPA) Award, and the Mumbai Press Club’s Red Ink Award. Kaunain has also collaborated on major global investigations. He was part of the Implant Files project with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), which exposed malpractices in the medical device industry across the world. He also contributed to an international investigation that uncovered how a Chinese big-data firm was monitoring thousands of prominent Indian individuals and institutions in real time. Over the years, he has reported on several high-profile criminal trials, including the Hashimpura massacre, the 2G spectrum scam, and the coal block allocation case. Within The Indian Express, he has been honoured three times with the Indian Express Excellence Award for his investigations—on the anti-Sikh riots, the Vyapam exam scam, and the abuse of the National Security Act in Uttar Pradesh. ... Read More

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