ABSTRACT
This article reflects the experiences the commander and the chief medical officer of the course made. Creating an atmosphere of trust and mutual understanding helped to made participants at ease to discuss difficult issues openly. They learned that the most important problem for the participants was the issue of obeying orders, following medical ethical issues, and the simultaneous observance of Law of Armed Conflict. This gave rise to the greatest numbers of questions and concerns. Another hotly discussed issue was medical ethics in peace and war. Medical ethics is a very rapidly growing field of interest, which today is of concern to all of us, and this was reflected in the discussions of the participants. The last paragraph investigates what goals the course has achieved.
Subject(s)
Education, Medical, Continuing , Ethics, Medical , Human Rights/education , Military Medicine/education , Warfare , Humans , International CooperationABSTRACT
The International Committee for Military Medicine (ICMM) decided at the 32nd Congress in Vienna in 1998 to give the Surgeon General of the Swiss Armed Forces the mandate to organize its international courses on the Law of Armed Conflict (LOAC). The Swiss Federal Government fully honored and endorsed its obligation to organize these important international courses. It is in the continuing tradition of Switzerland, as a small neutral state, to support humanitarian help and all efforts to prevent war. As decided by the head of the government on April 3, 1998, the mandate of the LOAC Courses will be funded by the Swiss Confederation.
