engleski

Code of ethics and deontology of physicians and its implementation in Croatia

The paper is dealing with rights and obligations of physicians stated in the Code of ethics and deontology of Croatian Medial Chamber and Croatian medical Association. Aslo, paper is dealing with disciplinary procedure agians physicains that may result in deprivation of licence to practice medicine. Croatian Medical Chamber, as umbrella organisation of physicians in Croatia, together with Croatian Medical Association, for the first time passed joined Code of medical ethics and deontology. Code came to force on March 01, 2007. Code is divided into sections: Basic principles, obligations towards the patient, family planning and regulation of human fertility, dying patient, tissue and organ transplantation, biomedical research, human genome, relationship towards persons with restricted freedom and relationship towards other physicians and professional organisations. Violations of Code may lead to disciplinary measures against physicians. Those sanctioning are determined by By-laws on disciplinary procedure of both organisations. It must be underlined that disciplinary measures that Chamber may sanction are determined by Physicians Act (Official Gazette 121/03). The most severe measure is deprivation of the licence to practice medicine for indefinitive period. Also, physicians have the right and duty to inform the Committee for Medical Ethics and Deontology of both Camber and Association of all violations of the regulations of this Code. Criminal or violation judgement that already exists against physician is not an obstacle for disciplinary procedure. Physicians must refuse all professional work which is in conflict with the regulations given in this Code, and the both organisations are obliged to provide help through their reputation and legal means, should the need arise. As Code emphasized, the honourable duty of the physician is to devote his lifework and profession to the health of human being. Also, physician must respect human life from conception to death, promote health, prevent and treat disease, and respect the human body and individuality after death. Physician must do all in his power to protect the honourable tradition of the medical profession, maintaining a high standard of practical work and ethical conduct towards the patient and his family and close friends, and towards healthy persons. Genetic tests and alterations of human genome are allowed only for medical purposes. In this paper author will describe most important provisions of Code. For example, regarding dying patients, Code proscribes that continued intensive treatment of irreversibly terminally ill patient is not only medically unfounded but also excludes this patient’ s right to dignified death. Author points that this could potential be in collision with provisions of Criminal Law in Croatia, where article 94, describing institute putting to death on demand, proscribes that who puts to death the other, based oh his/her serious and explicit demand, will be punished by jail sentence from one to eight years. Regarding regulation of human fertility, Code emphasises when treating marital infertility the physician must be aware that application of methods for assisting reproduction, including in vitro fertilisation, necessitates understanding of the essence of such methods and persons undergoing such treatments. It is the duty of the physician to be informed with the ethical evaluation of certain methods, according to accepted, current concepts. Development of surplus human embryos for research is unacceptable and unethical. Furthermore, author will research how many disciplinary measures are taken against physicians.

Code of medical ethics and deontology; regulation of human fertility; dying patient; tissue and organ transplantation; biomedical research; human genome; disciplinary measures against physicians

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