The Maimonides Institute for Medicine, Ethics and the Holocaust (MIMEH), a nonprofit organization committed to preserving the memory of those whose lives were irrevocably changed during the Holocaust, has officially launched a website dedicated to that purpose. Its goal is to explore the ethical implications of the medical community’s participation in the labeling, persecution and eventual mass murder of millions deemed “unfit” during WW II for modern scientific theory, medical practice, health care policy and human rights endeavors.
The Holocaust is a unique example of medically sanctioned genocide. The ethical transgressions perpetrated by physicians during World War II directly conflicted with their sworn oath to “first, do no harm.” Educating those in the healthcare professions about the ways in which the power of medicine and the promise of scientific progress were abused during the Holocaust is vital to shaping the ways in which current and future generations of leaders will deal with bioethical quandaries.
MIMEH is dedicated to exploring the biomedical ethical issues brought to light as a result of the alliance between medicine and National Socialism that remain relevant for current medical and scientific practice and human rights endeavors. Millions of people were killed in the name of scientific progress in Nazi Germany; MIMEH views it as our responsibility to those whose lives were changed irrevocably to ensure that their suffering ultimately leads to the proliferation of a Righteous Medicine that places the dignity of the individual above all else.
Dr. Stacy Perlstein Gallin is the founder and director of MIMEH. She believes that “the significance of instilling a personal and professional ethos that values the protection of human rights and the central principles of bioethics first and foremost cannot be overstated. I invite you to join us in our quest to protect the future by reflecting on our past. Please visit our website to learn more about our organization and how we plan to make a difference in the world.”
For more information, visit www.mimeh.org or contact Dr. Gallin at [email protected]. Physicians, nurses and pharmacists can earn Continuing Medical Education (CME) credits through online presentations offered on the website.
