Harm Reduction Program or The Giving of Syringes to Drug Injecting Users Violates The Hippocratic Oath of Doctors

The Department of Health insistence of giving syringes to drug injecting users in Cebu City violates the medical doctors Hippocratic Oath. Doctors take the Hippocratic Oath upon passing the medical board examinations before the Professional Regulations Commission issues their licenses. This is the oath:

HIPPOCRATIC OATH

I swear by Apollo the Healer, by Aesculapius, by Health and all the powers of healing and to call witness all Gods and Goddesses that I may keep this oath and promise to the best of my ability and judgment. I will pay the same respect to my master in the science as to my parents and share my life with him and pay all my debts to him. I will regard his sons as my brothers and teach them the science, if they desire to learn it, without fee or contract. I will hand on precepts, lectures and all other learning to my sons, to those of my master and to those pupils duly appointed and sworn and to none other.

I will use my power to help the sick to the best of my ability and judgment. I will abstain from harming or wrong doing any man by it. I will not give a fatal drought to anyone if I am asked, nor will I suggest any such thing. Neither will I given a woman means to procure an abortion. I will be chaste and religious in my life and in my practice. I will not cut, even for the stone, but I will leave such procedures to the practicioners of that craft. Whenever I go into a house I will go to help the sick and never with the intention of doing harm or injury. I will not abuse my position to indulge in sexual contacts with the bodies of women or men whether they be freemen or slaves. Whatever I see or hear, whether professionally or privately which ought not to be divulged I will keep secret and tell no one. If therefore, I observe this oath and do not violate it, may I prosper both in my life and in my profession, earning good repute among all men for all time. If I transgress and fore swear this oath, may my lot be otherwise.”

The program of giving syringes to drug injecting users is called HARM REDUCTION PROGRAM, a brilliant play of words to fool the public and ease the guilt of their conscience. The Hippocratic Oath clearly says: “I WILL ABSTAIN FROM HARMING OR WRONG DOING ANY MAN BY IT”. The giving of syringes to drug injecting users is beyond any contest or argument: harming them. Doctors know that the use of nubain without any medical necessity is harming the user. That is the very reason why the LAW considers the use of nubain without medical prescription a CRIME.

The justification that they give syringes to drug injecting users to minimize the spread of aids/H.I.V. (human immunodeficiency virus) is the very reason why Medical Doctors take the oath, to remind them that they should abstain from harming or wrong doing any man. Is the giving of syringes to drug injecting users healing the sick? Drug Injecting users are sick, that is why they are called drug dependents. How could the giving of syringes HEAL THE SICK? When in fact you are harming them instead of convincing them to stop the use of such drugs.

The Department of Health which has become a puppet of the World Bank and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes is insisting the implementation of the program, they are so determined that they are ensuring that city officials are convinced of the necessity of the program, keeping them hostage of the threat that H.I.V./aids will spread if the HARM REDUCTION PROGRAM would not be allowed. The DOH is making ways to keep the public ignorant and unaware of the program.

In the Hippocratic Oath doctors calls upon the Gods and Goddesses that they may keep their oath, but I am afraid that they may be calling upon the DRUG LORDS, for the beneficiary of the program are the peddlers of nubain and not the God that heals. It is unfortunate that the DOH has cowered in its duty to heal the sick and to keep the public from harm.

“I WILL NOT GIVE A FATAL DRAUGHT TO ANYONE IF I AM ASKED, NOR WILL I SUGGEST ANY SUCH THING”. This simply means never to be part of mercy killing or euthanasia. But the Harm Reduction Program may not kill the drug injecting user instantly but surely this will ensure his death slowly. The crusade against illegal drugs has become complicated years ago our enemies are identified and are standing in front of us, now our enemies are within the government.

The Harm Reduction Program is just the start, it is the test of our mettle and our very moral fabric of the Cebuanos, and the nation, for the next thing they will do, is to LEGALIZE THE USE OF MARIJUANA and SET UP BOOTHS SO OUR CHILDREN AND GRAND CHILDREN WILL USE DRUGS, OF WHATEVER FORM AND SUBSTANCE WITH GOVERNMENT’S SUPPORT.

We must oppose this program as united Cebuanos. I call upon all the Medical Doctors in the City to study this program and voice your opinions of opposing it. I call upon all decent and sane Cebuanos to oppose this program, for it is your silence that will give the DOH license to kill the youth of today. The most precious treasure Cebu has are its youth, let us protect them from the evils of drugs and all its cohorts.

The Harm Reduction Program logically and practically promote the use of injectable drugs, it does not stop the spread of H.I.V./aids but it surely abets, condones, tolerates to the extent of pushing drug injecting users to continue using these drugs.

The Harm Reduction Program may have the support of the World Bank and international non government organizations with all its DOLLARS as their weapon. It is a program with no sense at all, it insults the very intelligence of the Cebuanos, yes we may have no DOLLARS to fight the DOH but this is simply a fight against GOOD and EVIL. It is up to you, whether to stand up against the EVIL or fight for the good of the Cebuanos.

In 1521, Lapulapu fought the would be conquerors led by Magellan and they were slaughtered, now modern foreign conquerors with traitors from Imperial Manila are forcing us to adopt THE HARM REDUCTION PROGRAM, it has come to us, to do our duty as what our brave ancestors did, the cannons of Magellan now replaced with DOLLARS, the weapons of Lapulapu still the same, COURAGE and COURAGE alone. We will win this battle, for we must for our children’s and their children’s sake.

About the Author: Clarence Paul V. Oaminal is a lawyer and author of ‘The Textbook on The Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002’. He is the Vice-chairman and Undersecretary of the Dangerous Drugs Board and is the current adviser and presiding officer of Cebu City Anti-Drug Abuse Council. He also hosts the local advocacy program ‘Krimen ug Drugas’ in CCTN Channel 47.