Any one who relieves mankind of its sufferings and gets people out of agony and pain is the real savior. Treating sick is one of the noble professions and doctors should be proud of being associated with this dignified job. Doctors at every stage of their profession come across pain and can really feel the sufferings of their patients. Patients in turn always find a savior within the doctor. This relationship between doctor and his patient creates a unique bond; a bond of ultimate trust. Doctors breaching this trust of sufferer are bound to suffer in turn; that is natural justice. But before passing any comment or delivering a judgment it becomes more imperative to find weather the breach of trust is intentional or some circumstantial compulsion have created an impasse.
Doctors are agitating for last many years with longer intervals but for last fifteen days they are virtually on war path. They have drawn out their swords and are listening to none other than their own voice. We as society should think seriously and ponder upon this situation of standoff between striking doctors and the administration, because our own people are dying in pain for want of treatment and attention. There are only two possibilities either doctors can be arrogant, selfish and inhumane or they are suffering themselves at the hands of unconcerned administration. This requires a realistic approach and sympathetic consideration. But administration instead of applying its mind in resolving this stalemate is making more people to dye with every passing day. In this situation of deadlock only poor people are dying who can not afford the expensive treatment at luxury hospitals and medical centers. After a fortnight government has come out of hibernation to initiate serious dialogue with striking doctors, but with a preconceived intention to bully them and maintain the statuesque. Authorities in the shape of politicians and civil servants can not afford encroachment within the domain of their ego, even if it is at the cost of poor public. This criminal act of administration, where they could not asses the impact of this strike well in time and react with sincerity and honesty will prove counter productive in the long run.
In this turmoil torn state where government lacks line and length almost in every sphere of life, majority of doctors have brought the health care system of the state to grinding halt for last many days for want of reasonable salaries, better facilities and much more. How far doctor’s demands other than better pay are genuine only doctors and their employers know. As I said doctors are saviors and have greater responsibility as compared to any other technocrat. Striving for genuine demands is fair but taking public at large as hostage demands introspection on part of doctors and warrants action by the establishment. Doctors can make authorities to yield by pressure tactics but taking humanity hostage will put a question mark on the creditability of their Nobel profession. Patients are dying for want of treatment and doctors are shouting at top of their voice to make authorities to listen, this is mockery both on the part of stubborn doctors as well as unresponsive administration. Both doctors and impassive government should be ashamed of this situation, where people are crying and struggling with pain for want of sympathetic attention and treatment.
Doctor’s demand for enhancing wages is genuine. In certain cases paying doctors a petty amount of rupees eight thousand per month for survival and subsistence is quite shameful on the part of our establishment. Taking their working conditions and hours into consideration this demand of doctors is not only genuine but a matter of right for them as part of the civilized society. Getting into the profession of medical sciences requires huge investment, both mental as well as financial. After putting best years of their life and hard work a young man or woman with many aspirations, expectations and high hopes for better standard of life, undoubtedly deserve a better treatment. Doctors pursuing a humble profession can not be denied the dignified working conditions and genuine and justified remunerations. It is a fact that doctors take an oath at the time of their induction in to the medical fraternity; an oath to serve the humanity without any prejudice, favoritism or ill will. Fulfillment of promises and abiding by the oath is obligatory only on part of people who are in the first instance comfortable, and contented. No one should expect any sympathy from any one who is suffering himself.
Right to better living and good health is one of the basic and fundamental requirements of civilized societies and it becomes necessary on part of the present government to provide such basic requirements and facilities without fail. In a democratic system government has to listen to the genuine demands of one and all. By bullying doctors on one hand and ignoring the pain and agony of patients on other, they are doing no good for the people particularly the patients. Instead they are creating more problems for establishing and running better and efficient health care system in the state. No one pleads that doctors are extraordinary and so they should be treated with loads of appeasement and undue favors, but surely they need a patient hearing and a sympathetic settlement of their genuine demands. Chasing them away will lead to a longer impasse and ultimately many more deaths. What is this age old parroted statement ‘call off your strike first and then we will consider the demands’? This is not a routine strike where only loss of production is the main concern but this is an extra ordinary standoff where life of common man is at stake. Hounding state road transport (SRTC) employees can be tolerated for certain period of time by the society, but a willful standoff with doctors is not only criminal but a cruel act of denying people their basic right of health care.
It is quite astonishing that administration was moving with snails pace while negotiating and resolving the demands of doctors and relieving the pain of patients but the very moment its ego got hurt it started working overnight to intimidate and chase away the medicos. This kamm hai too bemar hai aur zulum hai too tayaar hai policy requires a review by our young leadership. It seems that the old deadwood within the system neither wants to do any thing on their own nor they want the younger generation to deliver. It appears some vested interests are intentionally trying to create hurdles in resolution of genuine demands of agitating doctors just to prolong this stalemate and harvest its dividend. Who knows there will be vested interests sitting on both sides of the fence?
Both striking doctors and the administration should sit and without brow beating each other should resolve their issues amicably in the best interest of the common man.
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