BrazJOtorhinolaryngol.2017;83(3):370
www.bjorl.org
Brazilian
Journal
of
OTORHINOLARYNGOLOGY
LETTER
TO
THE
EDITOR
Ethics
is
the
best
professional
policy
夽A
ética
é
a
melhor
política
profissional
DearEditor,
Theeditorial‘‘TheFuture. . . towhomitbelongs?’’
1raises
twoconsiderationsonourprofessionalpractice.
The first one, stimulated by our colleague Marcio
Abrahão,refers totheBrazilian tax burden. The National
UnionofAttorneysoftheNationalTreasuryestimatesthat
thecostofthecrimeoftaxevasioninBrazilin2015alone
wasmorethanR$420billion---seventimesmorethanthe
annual cost of corruption. Therefore, thereis no way to
attainsignificant relieftothepocketsofhonesttaxpayers
withouttax reform,repression oftax evasionand
punish-mentoftax evaders.2 Ifindividualsand businessesdonot
evade taxes, it will be possible to reduce tax rates and
the tax burden will weigh less on each of us. Therefore,
weendorsetheeditorialontheroleofmedicalinstitutions
inthe nationalpolitical scenario,because society’s
revul-sionagainstcrimegetsastrongervoicethroughprestigious
organizations,suchastheABORL-CCF.Thereisnothingmore
appropriateforourAssociationtodothantostartorjoina
publiccampaigntocombattaxevasion.
The second consideration concerns the ethical and
humanitarian nature of Medicine. It is incontestable that
weneed todemandafairanddecentremunerationforall
workers, includingdoctors. In parallel, the current crises
in economic and moral values bring us doctors another
夽 Pleasecitethisarticleas:BalbaniAP.Ethicsisthebest
profes-sionalpolicy.BrazJOtorhinolaryngol.2017;83:370.
important mission: volunteering for the benefit of those
whosuffer the most.Ourdefenseless countrymen relyon
usfor more thansolving theirhealth problems. Theyalso
ask forourbraveactionsascitizens,sothattogether,we
candemandgoodpublichealthpoliciesandrejecthatred,
prejudice,injustice,socialinequality,threatstopeaceand
disregardforhumanlife.
Respectingthesecularstate, wemust have theserene
consciousness to honor every day the passage from the
‘‘Physician’sPrayer’’,byMaimonides(1135---1204):‘‘(. . .)to
servetherichandthepoor,thegoodandthewicked,friends
andenemies,andmayIneverseeinthepatientanything
but a fellow creaturein pain.’’Ethicsis the noble policy
thatcanleadustoabetterfuture.
Conflicts
of
interest
Theauthordeclaresnoconflictsofinterest.
References
1.AbrahãoM.Thefuture...towhomitbelongs?BrazJ Otorhino-laryngol.2016;82:371.
2.Plutarco HM. O imposto da sonegac¸ão é você quem paga. Available at: http://www.sinprofaz.org.br/artigos/o-imposto-da-sonegacao-e-voce-quem-paga/[accessed11.09.16].
AracyPereiraSilveiraBalbani
Privatepractice,Tatuí,SP,Brazil E-mail:abalbani@hotmail.com
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bjorl.2016.09.007
