Mission Statement

The Hippocratic Society Switzerland is a medical association founded at the beginning of 1999 in Zuerich. It adheres to the ethics of the Greek medical doctor Hippocrates and aimes to give more weight to the Hippocratic fundamentals, especially in the light of dangerous recent developments in the health care system with regard to euthanasia, rationalization, regulation of medicine, abuse of personal data etc. In accordance with the declaration of the World Medical Association the Hippocratic Society Switzerland which prioritizes the patients` welfare, value and human rights of the patient - regardless of skin colour, gender, language, creed, national or social background, financial status, birth or other conditions. The Hippocratic Society is bound to a scientifically based medicine.

The following fundamentals and persuations underpin our activities and statements:

Respect of human life: The right to life, and as laid down in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights - by virtue of being born human - is the fundamental right to live in safety and dignity at any time or place. The protection of human life is a fundamental part of medical ethics and an overriding duty of a medical doctor. The Hippocratic Society Switzerland resists all kinds of legislation of 'active euthanasia'.
Healing and Alleviating Suffering: It is the duty of a medical doctor to cure illness, to alleviate suffering and to support the patient during their illness. Each patient should receive the best medical therapy, suited to their individual situation. The Hippocratic Society Switzerland fully supports the thorough and complete initial training of medical doctors and the appropriate treatment of patients. It also endorses the demand for acknowledgement and improvement of palliative care.
The relationship between doctor and patient is crucial for the medical profession. Patients must be secure in the knowledge that the doctor is impartially and fully committed to their lives. It encompasses the patients` right to choose their own doctor and the acknowledgement that there is a duty of care regarding data protection and the need to promote a trustworthy public perception of medical profession.
Protection of the elderly and infirm: The health care system should be based on the principles of solidarity and subsidiarity. The ethical awareness of a society becomes apparent by how it treats the elderly, the infirm and the disabled. Only if there is protection of the weaker members of our society, can each person really feel secure. Decisions in the health care system have to be made in accordance with ethical and scientific fundamentals. They should not in the first instance be based on purely economic arguments. So by means of a careful and proper prioritizing and the common efforts of all parties, good health care provision, even in a financially restrained environment, can be ensured.
The ethical training and supervision of doctors should be carried out by positive role models and a mentoring system by experienced clinicians. Ethical decisions remain the responsibility of doctors.
Scientifically based and humanistic medicine do not contradict each other but belong together. The Hippocratic Society Switzerland promotes the freedom of science and research and desires that scientific achievements be used responsibly and for the welfare of people.
Independence of the medical profession: The independence of the medical profession is fundamental to optimal health care. For that a free choice of methods of treatment, the independence of professional development and free trade must be guaranteed. The Hippocratic Society Switzerland resists any socialistic state-controlled medicine and also the delivery of health care to a globalized market without ethical and national considerations.
Responsibility for the public community: The duty of a medical doctor doesn`t only relate to the doctor-patient relationship but also to the social environment. Because of that a medical doctor has a wider responsibility to the community welfare. Doctors need not only strive towards the provision of preventative care but also become pro-active in socio-political matters.
Historical consciousness: The fundamentals of Hippocratic ethics date back over 2500 years. Devastations by the two World Wars and countless terror regimes of the 20th century have shown that, wherever the Hippocratic fundamentals were placed in question or compromised, ideas were implemented in the health care system that were against the promotion of life and health. An example would be the national socialism in Germany and the communist dictatorships, where doctors no longer felt first in line of duty to their patients but were beholden to the totalitarian regimes they lived under. Therefore they became alienated from their ethos, namely to serve humanity. The Hippocratic Society Switzerland aimes to put its whole weight behind the early detection of such similar tendencies. It wants to make its own contribution to ensuring that doctors`activities derive solely from the valued ethical fundamentals.