Medical Council warns doctors against discouraging COVID-19 vaccination

Sep 18, 2021 News

Kaieteur News – The Guyana Medical Council (GMC) has issued a warning to doctors not to discourage vaccination against the deadly coronavirus (COVID-19) infection.
A statement the GMC released on Thursday outlined its decision to support “the position taken by the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) that proposes to take disciplinary action against any certified doctor who spreads disinformation about the COVID-19 disease and vaccines.”
The statement follows reports that some doctors have been discouraging the use of vaccines although the World Health Organization (WHO) had declared COVID-19 a Public Health Emergency of International Concern in January 2020.
In its statement, the GMC noted that doctors who criticise vaccines would be misconducting themselves. “Physicians who use their position of authority to denigrate vaccination at a time when vaccines continue to demonstrate excellent effectiveness against severe COVID-19 illness, hospitalisation and death are not only constitutionally unethical but also unprofessional and dangerous,” the Council said.
According to the GMC doctors engaged in this unethical practice are at risk of acting against the best interest of the health of people. “We have all sworn to uphold The Hippocratic Oath to ‘do no harm’ and as such we should not promulgate treatments that are demonstrably ineffective and harmful…any doctor who spreads disinformation, misinformation and falsehoods to the public during a time of Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) goes against what we represent. COVID-19 is a potentially lethal illness.”
Further, the GMC said doctors are held accountable for their decisions and actions, and anyone who violates his or her professional rules would be committing a breach.
“Any doctor who provides disinformation about the COVID-19 disease and vaccines contradicts our ethical and professional responsibilities since the expertise does matter as facts outweigh opinions.”
The GMC, which is chaired by Dr. Navindranauth Rambaran, is the licensing and regulatory body for doctors in Guyana.

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