When the Oath is Forsaken
As a cardiologist of fifty years standing, I am shaken beyond anybody’s imagination. The medical profession is founded on a sacred, immutable principle: Primum non nocere—First, do no harm. To dedicate one’s life to understanding the fragile mechanics of the human heart, only to witness the alleged involvement of fellow doctors in plots of destruction and the storage of deadly materials, represents an ethical chasm that is simply mind-boggling. It is a betrayal of the deepest trust placed in us by society and by the human body itself.
The paradox inherent in this situation is devastating. A medical education grants intimate knowledge of life, death, and vulnerability. A physician is trained to identify poisons, treat wounds, and restore health. This expertise is a specialized trust. The notion that such life-saving knowledge could be deliberately inverted—that the very tools and intellect used to mend might be weaponized for mass destruction, as suggested by the tragic Delhi events of the 10th November—challenges the foundational morality of our calling. It begs the question: how does the human mind, trained in compassion, become so utterly “brainwashed” that the professional identity of the healer is completely subsumed by an ideology of violence?
This transformation is not just a professional failure; it is a profound moral tragedy. It is the ultimate rejection of the vocation’s universality. Our duty transcends creed, politics, religion and nationality. When individuals allegedly permit political provocations and religious overtones to override the oath they swore—an oath to preserve life regardless of who the patient is—they do not merely commit a crime; they obliterate the ethical bedrock upon which medicine stands.
Furthermore, my concern regarding the aspersion cast upon the entire Kashmiri doctor community is acutely felt. The actions of a handful of alleged outliers, driven by motives that contradict every principle of medicine, unjustly stain the reputation of thousands of dedicated, finest professionals who serve their country with distinction every day. Justice demands that culpability remains strictly individual. The collective guilt assigned by association is cruel, baseless, and must be resisted fiercely, lest we allow cynicism to erode our respect for the vast majority who uphold their duties honourably.
My anguish is the voice of medical conscience itself—a conscience reeling from the shock of seeing the highest ideals of healing twisted into instruments of harm. The path forward, despite all the political noise and provocation, lies in reaffirming the inviolability of our professional ethic. We must continue to be the steady, compassionate hand that difference in opinions cannot shake. We pray that good sense prevails, that integrity is restored, and that the sanctity of the medical profession remains uncompromised.
Prof Upendra Kaul, Founder Director Gauri Kaul Foundation
