A new trend of flash strikes of junior doctors has emerged. It seems, similar to other epidemics like swine flu, dengue, bird flu etc the strike has become infectious. I guess, perhaps these doctors learnt the lesson of potency of infectious disease, in waking up the State machinery, while practicing their profession. ‘Unless you put to ransom the State, no head would turn for your cause’ is the guru mantra.
“Why are we given false assurance” is what doctor’s question from the system. God! Are they naïve or pretending as one? Our system is in a habit of brushing things under carpet once the incident is over. Are we not in a habit of making promises to break? Moreover, these doctors are no better. Didn’t they pledge to serve in all situations, odd or even? Is their behavior not a systemic reflection? The public administration thinkers while theorizing clearly envisioned the insensitivity of the system. We are born hypocrites. Munnabhai movie was a big hit but Gandhigiri catches our attention only with a wish for others to follow. Our blood is always warm to the boiling point ready to evaporate on one provocation.
Of late, within a span of one-month doctors in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and now Delhi (Safdarjung hospital) have gone on strike. Let us hope that as torch of commonwealth games after traveling the nook and corner of country ended its journey in Delhi, so does this series of strikes end with this Safdarjung strike. Let the States (health being state subject) and Center take a concerted decision, if required with intervention of Judiciary, and ensure that there is no more occurrence, even if it calls for imposing ban on strikes by doctors, as it is for police. There have been enough deaths due to lackadaisical attitude of strikers and government without actually fixing accountability. If we can easily shirk from being accountable to deaths in our country, then fixing accountability for other misdemeanors like financial irregularity etc is a far cry.
Surprisingly, one thing in common in all cases of these sporadic calls of strike is that they were instigated by incidents involving individuals. A doctor facing wrath of some patient, their attendant or some incident outside hospital premises. The main agenda of striking doctors is seeking preventive mechanism put in place where the chances of human error of others (mind it, not theirs) is totally eradicated. They wish, whosoever comes in their contact should behave like robots, dancing to their tune, non-complaining, bereft of racing passions for their wards, vehicles having the sense to discriminate between doctors and other citizens in case of accidents (as in Bhopal) and the like. What a genuine demand it is. The expected rule is, people encountering doctors should be immune to their (doctors) misdeeds and they (doctors) misdoing with impunity, as the reality of ‘Human is to err’ is applicable only to them. I fail to understand how can one case of misbehavior with a doctor be threat to whole breed of doctors. Is it not a solace for them to analyze the ratio of their conflict to numbers of patients they attend, when the situation around is witnessing exponential rise of physical offence in the community. They still are most respected lot in the community. Let them not threaten this perception by foolish acts of overstressed youngsters.
When are we going to understand the importance of essential services? Is there any comparison between loss of more than sixty patients in Rajasthan and misbehavior with one doctor (an instigating factor). Is there need to orient doctors towards ‘patient-customer dealing’. No doubt, they have to have exceptional tolerance power. It may be hundredth patient for the doctor in that particular day but for the attendants of patient it is matter of life and death of his near and dear one, and for him at that moment world is limited to that patient. So, it is quite natural to have charged passions. I hope better sense will prevail and this ill thought of trend will come to an end, once and for all. A utopian wish though. Amen!
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