Filenews 2 July 2021
Cases of health professionals preventing citizens from being vaccinated by the Cyprus Medical Association (PIS) are under investigation and if it is found that there is a violation of the Code of Medical Professional Ethics, then the legal procedures will be followed by the competent bodies of the Association.
The President of PIS, Dr Petros Agathangelou, states that "what is seen in the public eye and concerning individual members, who act contrary to the instructions of the competent authorities in this matter, rest assured that they have not been ignored", noting that "where, after due investigation, it is found that there is a violation of the Code of Medical Professional Ethics, then the legal procedures are followed by the competent bodies of the Association".
In communication we had with the pulmonologist Haris Armitis, who brought the matter to the surface, he said that it is a violation of medical ethics when a doctor is against scientific guidelines.
''Vaccination is a recommendation to the whole world to protect it from serious disease. So if a doctor expresses a personal opinion it has to be checked because with this tactic it means that anyone can do whatever they want out of context. There is a scientific framework that recommends that you advise people on vaccination, explain the positives and possible side effects and give them the result to choose from," he noted.
He said, "there are people who work abroad who create an approach to vaccination by working on people's fear and insecurity and urging them not to be vaccinated, telling them that they will be given vitamin cocktails as an antidote to vaccination to protect them from the coronavirus."
This is outside the remit of medical tactics and falls under the subject of medical negligence, he added, because the person listening to his doctor may not be vaccinated, which can seriously endanger his life.
Cna
