Cheers and jeers for the Charter for Physicians
===============================================

* J. J.P. Patil

It appears that Nuala Kenny and her colleagues are still operating in the Dark Ages.1 I read the CMA Charter for Physicians2 and I see nothing in it that the ordinary Canadian citizen would not demand. Most Canadians would like a work environment that is conducive to good productivity and to providing the best possible service to customers and society at large - an environment free of harassment, discrimination, intimidation and violence. Canada's Charter of Rights gives us freedom of association and speech, and the CMA charter demands nothing more.

Society has changed, as has the medical profession. Once medicine was a vocation in which people sacrificed and dedicated their lives to the care of the sick and injured. No longer is medicine a vocation of that type. It is now a profession, just like any other.

## References

1.  1. Kenny N, Weijer C, Baylis F. Voting ourselves rights: a critique of the Canadian Medical Association Charter for Physicians. CMAJ 1999;161(4):399-400.
    
    [FREE Full Text](http://www.cmaj.ca/lookup/ijlink/YTozOntzOjQ6InBhdGgiO3M6MTQ6Ii9sb29rdXAvaWpsaW5rIjtzOjU6InF1ZXJ5IjthOjQ6e3M6ODoibGlua1R5cGUiO3M6NDoiRlVMTCI7czoxMToiam91cm5hbENvZGUiO3M6NDoiY21haiI7czo1OiJyZXNpZCI7czo5OiIxNjEvNC8zOTkiO3M6NDoiYXRvbSI7czoyNDoiL2NtYWovMTYxLzExLzEzOTIuMS5hdG9tIjt9czo4OiJmcmFnbWVudCI7czowOiIiO30=) 

2.  2. Canadian Medical Association. Charter for Physicians [policy]. CMAJ 1999;161(4):430-1.