| Dr. Khassan Baiev has written a memoir of his struggle to uphold
the Hippocratic Oath during both Russian-Chechen wars. The following is an excerpt from "The Oath":
"The war goes on in Chechnya. Civilians die every day. If
not killed by Russian gunfire, they die from dysentery, heart attacks,
strokes, hypertension, a virulent form of tuberculosis that doesn't
respond to antibiotics, and malignant tumors caused by smoke and
chemicals in the air. Many of the survivors have physical and emotional
wounds that probably will never fully heal. My country is a medical
disaster area, and I cannot rest until I return. But I know I can't
go home again--at least not yet--not while Russian troops and a
few Chechen extremists are pursuing me. The Kremlin called me a
terrorist doctor because I treated Chechen freedom fighters. The
extremists called me a traitor because I treated wounded Russian
soldiers. In truth, it was the civilians I treated most, and they
still need my help." |
