For the benefit of the baggers here: The classical oath A Nova translation of the Oath runs as follows: To quote the oath: "I swear by Apollo Physician and Asclepios and Hygeia and Panaceia and all the gods and goddesses, making them my witnesses, that I will fulfill according to my ability and judgment this oath and this covenant: To hold him who has taught me this art as equal to my parents and to live my life in partnership with him, and if he is in need of money to give him a share of mine, and to regard his offspring as equal to my brothers in male lineage and to teach them this art - if they desire to learn it - without fee and covenant; to give a share of precepts and oral instruction and all the other learning to my sons and to the sons of him who has instructed me and to pupils who have signed the covenant and have taken an oath according to the medical law, but no one else. I will apply dietetic measures for the benefit of the sick according to my ability and judgment; I will keep them from harm and injustice. I will neither give a deadly drug to anybody who asked for it, nor will I make a suggestion to this effect. Similarly I will not give to a woman an abortive remedy. In purity and holiness I will guard my life and my art. I will not use the knife, not even on sufferers from stone, but will withdraw in favor of such men as are engaged in this work. Whatever houses I may visit, I will come for the benefit of the sick, remaining free of all intentional injustice, of all mischief and in particular of sexual relations with both female and male persons, be they free or slaves. What I may see or hear in the course of the treatment or even outside of the treatment in regard to the life of men, which on no account one must spread abroad, I will keep to myself, holding such things shameful to be spoken about. If I fulfill this oath and do not violate it, may it be granted to me to enjoy life and art, being honored with fame among all men for all time to come; if I transgress it and swear falsely, may the opposite of all this be my lot." Now compare the oath the physician has taken with this information about Jehovah’s Witnesses: “The organization has established Hospital Information Services responsible for education on and facilitation of “bloodless surgery.” This service also maintains Hospital Liaison Committees whose function is to provide support to adherents. To facilitate surgery without violating their belief against transfusions, in 1988 the Watchtower organization formed Hospital Information Services, an internal department which in turn established Hospital Liaison Committees to enroll doctors and surgeons who will practice bloodless surgery for Witness patients. As of 2003 about 200 hospitals in the world feature bloodless medical programs As of 2006 there are 1,535 Hospital Liaison Committees worldwide ‘coordinating communication between 110,000 physicians’ Hospital Information Services researches thousands of medical journals worldwide to locate information on the availability and effectiveness of many forms of bloodless surgery and treatment to supply Hospital Liaison Committees, health care centers, and some doctors with information on these medical advances.[41] This department provides information to the local Hospital Liaison Committees as well as to doctors and hospitals seeking assistance in treatment options for Witnesses. The Watch Tower Society has published information about medical matters, blood transfusion in particular, in order to provide an explanation of their view, and also to promote the idea that the practice violates God's laws. Many Witnesses carry a "Hospital Care Card" or an "Advance Medical Directive/Release card" and, in some countries, a health-care durable power of attorney (DPA) form outlining their wishes in case of emergencies. They also give this information to medical personnel prior to surgeries or other medical procedures that might involve blood, organ transplants, or a decision whether or not to sustain their lives under certain circumstances.” Source Wikipedia Now for two articles that explain the Witnesses Bible based stand: Blood http://www.watchtower.org/e/hb/article_01.htm http://www.watchtower.org/e/hb/article_03.htm The physician has a conscience, the patient has a conscience. In view of what I have just shared, I do not see where the physician would be violating the oath by honoring the wishes of his Witness patient.

The Hippocratic Oath urges us to act for the benefit of the sick. One way in which this can be done is to ensure patient autonomy. Put another way, a patient is free to disagree with us, and we should respect that disagreement. To do anything else is to reduce the patient to an object, which may do them as much harm as the lack of a blood transfusion. (Besides, doctors aren't always right. Sometimes when we say someone needs a transfusion, they do fine anyway if they don't get it.)