"Gostar de Pessoas" - Linhas de antropologia médica em escritos do Professor Walter Osswald sobre humanização da saúde, ética médica e bioética

Abstract

Background Professor Walter Osswald (born 1928) is a distinguished Full Professor at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto, Doctor Honoris Causa by the University of Coimbra, and recipient of the UNESCO Chair in Bioethics from the Institute of Bioethics of the Portuguese Catholic University. He stands out in the fields of Pharmacology, Therapeutics and Bioethics. This dissertation aims to bring his anthropological thought to light, both as a doctor and a humanist, from his writings on the humanization of healthcare, medical ethics and bioethics. Material and Methods The bibliographical research was conducted based on a chronologically-oriented reading of several writings by Professor Walter Osswald, on the humanization of healthcare, medical ethics and bioethics. This information was later complemented by an interview conducted with the subject personality under study. Results Every person is a subject of a life, whose dignity, liberty and autonomy are inviolable. None of these features, intrinsic to the human person, is affected when one is struck by disease. There will always be room in medicine to make conditions and care more humane and more respectful of each person's dignity. Discussion For Professor Walter Osswald the concept of personhood is the foundation of his entire ethical thought. Life itself allows the existence of the person, characterized by dignity and liberty, which are exercised within the context of otherness since all humans are interdependent. All his arguments stem from the concept of personhood. From the very beginning, his writings reveal maturity, solidity, and a mindset ahead of his time. Conclusion As one of the trailblazing pioneers of ethics in Portugal, Walter Osswald holds immense wisdom, acquired, gathered, and shared over his 95 years. His fascination with the human person was the driving force behind his dedication to ethics, and the foundation of his intellectual activity in all the fields in which he distinguished himself, through thought and intervention. Although not systematically formulated, his anthropological thought is transversal and emerges from his writings across the different domains under analysis: the humanization of healthcare, medical ethics and bioethics.