To the Editor

Last week, I gave public testimony in support of the Medical-Aid-in-Dying bill, SB 88. Because I was a practicing physician before I retired, I got asked about the apparent conflict between the Hippocratic Oath and the proposed legislation.

It wasn’t the first time I had been asked about that, so maybe it would be helpful to clear up some things about the oath.

It is not really known when it was written or even who wrote it, but the general consensus is that the Hippocratic Oath is about 2,500 years old. It begins with the physician swearing to several ancient Greek gods, including Apollo, Asclepius, Hygieia and Panacea. Who swears to Apollo anymore, let alone the lesser-known other gods? It goes on to say, “I will keep this Oath and this covenant ... to teach them this art ... without fee or covenant.”

I guess medical schools missed that provision.

The oath also prohibits abortion, so I guess Hippocrates didn’t see Roe v Wade coming. The ancient vow clearly poses several problems for the modern practitioner and although the majority of doctors do take an oath — often when they graduate from medical school — it is more often a modern version.

Only 43% of medical schools still use the classic Hippocratic Oath or a modified version of it. Regardless of which oath is taken, however, the essential feature remains, “I will do no harm or injustice to them.”

Allowing terminal patients to suffer needlessly IS doing harm. Harm to the patient and harm to the family. It is also important to understand that doing no harm is not the same as doing some good. Treating patients in order to relieve their suffering, cure their illness, or improve their lives is the goal of medicine, but there may come a time when no treatment is going to accomplish that.

A time when keeping people alive against their wishes simply because it’s possible is not only cruel but is, I believe, a violation of the basic tenet of all medical oaths.

We are not living in ancient Greece or the Dark Ages and we can act in accordance with a more modern and compassionate understanding of medical practice. It’s time for Connecticut to join ten other states and Washington D.C., respect the will of the 75% of adults in our state who support medical aid in dying and finally pass SB 88.

Respectfully,

Paul Bluestein, MD

Bridgeport