Is it just the outrage of patients who had been assaulting the doctors brutally or has the hypocrisy of so called Media News and Government become the major concern for Doctors in India now? The question has been wandering lately in the minds of Medical Practitioners, as the misery continues to expand. Leave the “Doctor is hand of god” thing, save your own life is the current status for doctors.
Lately, we have been seeing a lot of efforts from doctors to protest and regain their safety, including the recent protest by 40,000 medicos in Karnataka only. Regardless of our simple demand: Security for the noble act, the government seems to have no concern about it. Despite the continued service to save a thousand lives every day, the life of a doctor is just growing into what we call a hell and the pitiful assaults on doctor continue to show themselves every time. If you haven’t seen the videos of how the doctors were brutally beaten, i would suggest you to watch some, including the Mumbai Doctor assault.
For the statements, the Maharashtra protest was a landmark of government response towards Doctors. When 4000 doctors protested against the safety concerns, the statements received were savagely annoying. The Bombay High Court called off the doctors: “Resign if you don’t want to work”. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had yelled: “Enough is enough, get back to work or legal action will be taken”. And then there was this most amazing one from Bombay High Court again: “Hire Private Security Guards to Protect Doctors, if needed”.
This is our so called government that asks to hire bodyguards for the sake of our own life. Sarcastic, but yeah, government has some guts to add to another assault on doctors. When the auto rickshaws in Delhi go on protest, this pathetic government has to fulfill their demands, to ensure everyone goes home. But when doctors peacefully protest for the safety, they are asked to resign. Why? Maybe because saving a life is not as worth as traveling to home.
Coming to the biggest contributors of all time: Media and News. When a doctor fails to treat the patient, they are hit hard by the family of patient first, and then it’s the sole duty of News Channels to show how a Doctor failed to do his job. These so called “sold media” are slaves to the TRP, they may show those pathetic fake ghost stories or some “Baba” doing some magical stuff, but why show the grievous life of doctors. It doesn’t gains any TRP for the channel, right?
I remember how last time a news channel showed Max Hospital in Delhi being closed off for malpractice. I remember how the news channel showed the “over-proud” doctors” not seeing the patients. And a lot of malpractice news on some random channels. But what I don’t remember is how a doctor saved someone from the grip of death, or how a doctor suffered the fate of patient’s death. Ever? I don’t think so.
For the Statistics, current Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh has recently stated that there are 5 lakh doctors needed in Uttar Pradesh. And even the WHO states that there are even less than 1 doctor per 1000 patients in India. I don’t think this number will ever rise, why will a young one choose a profession that is not full of fortunes or has idle-at-work conditions?
If only for a moment, the doctors in India stop working and deny to see the patients, there will be 17 deaths per hour in Delhi alone. Regardless of the mass hits from patient, media and government, we continue to serve for we are obliged to the Hippocratic Oath.
In the end, I shall plea to everyone, to stand together as a community. Serve as much as we can, hold the only left thing left in our profession: Dignity and stay strong. These random governments or media news shall change at some moment, our cause shall remain forever.
Do leave your thoughts on what you think of the dire situation, would love to see the response. It’s not just me or you, it’s all of us.