The island of Kos, Greece, hosted the revival of the Hippocratic Oath ceremony and the swearing-in of outstanding medical graduates from Greek and international universities during Hippocratic Week 2026, highlighting the enduring ethical values of medicine and the island’s historic connection to Hippocrates.
The International Hippocratic Foundation of Kos hosted the ceremony as part of a programme that included the Hippocratic School, a scientific symposium and the oath-taking event. The World Hippocratic Institute of Physicians, the International Hippocratic Foundation of Kos, the Municipality of Kos, the Athens Medical Association and the Kos Medical Association organised the events under the auspices of the Presidency of the Hellenic Republic.
This year’s Hippocratic Week began in Cyprus for the first time, with the Hippocratic School launching at the medical schools of the European University Cyprus and the University of Cyprus. The opening programme featured an international conference on health diplomacy and demographic challenges, as well as the unveiling of a bust of Hippocrates under the auspices of the President of the Republic of Cyprus.
The programme then travelled to Athens, Larissa and Kos, bringing together 35 medical students and academics from universities in Greece, the United States, Argentina, the United Kingdom, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Syria, Palestine, Albania, Spain, Portugal, France and India.
The organisers said the broad international participation demonstrated the initiative’s global appeal and strengthened its role as a meeting point for the next generation of doctors and the enduring principles of Hippocratic philosophy.
Dr G. Patoulis, president of the Athens Medical Association and the World Hippocratic Institute of Physicians, highlighted the lasting worldwide significance of Hippocratic philosophy. He said medicine involved more than knowledge and science, requiring responsibility, service and humanity above all.
“Technology can make medicine more powerful. Only ethics, however, can make it truly humane,” Dr Patoulis said, stressing that scientific progress must always go hand in hand with respect for human life and the values championed by Hippocrates.
He also called for Kos, the birthplace of Hippocrates, to become an international reference point for medical ethics, knowledge and humanity. Dr Patoulis urged organisers to establish the swearing-in of outstanding medical students at the Asklepieion of Kos as an annual international institution, describing the Hippocratic legacy as both a heritage for all humanity and a responsibility for future generations.
The ceremony also featured addresses by Kos Mayor Th. Nikitaras, International Hippocratic Foundation of Kos president and emeritus professor of obstetrics and gynaecology N. Papantoniou, who acted as master of ceremonies, and Kos Medical Association president K. Gavalas.
Professor Papantoniou said Kos remained a focal point for promoting Hippocratic ideas, which extend beyond medical science to encompass ethics, philosophy, humanity and respect for professional standards.
Hippocratic Week continued with a two-day scientific symposium at the International Hippocratic Foundation of Kos, featuring speakers from around the world.
(Source: AMNA)
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