My letter to honorable President IMA HQs
HOPE CLINICS
To
The President
IMA HQs
Re; Ongoing fast by resident doctors in Kolkata
Dear Sir
I am pained to have to write this letter to you but some bitter truths need to be pointed out. Abhaya’s death was a crime which happened and was not something which could have been predicted. The culprit / culprits will be prosecuted at the convenient leisure of our courts.
What I can however for see is that one or more of the young residents on fast on to death, some of whom are already in ICCU, may actually die and responsibility of that death will lie on all of us but more heavily on you our leader in these troubled times. History will ask all of us what were we doing when these youngsters were protesting to get justice. We can always say that it was a local matter, or that we were busy with emergency patients or that we are a noble profession who cannot refuse to do our duty but then IS OUR DUTY LIMITED TO OUR PATIENTS ONLY ?. Even if we assume for a moment that all our duties are limited to our patients, if our next generation is not properly trained, is harassed, is depressed , miserable and dejected what kind of legacy are we going to leave to our patients. Is it also not our duty to ensure continuity of good care for our patients by ensuring bright youngsters with positive frame of mind well trained carry on our work when we retire.
A new generation of doctors always looking over the shoulder, scared, always defensive, lacking confidence, indecisive , filled with self doubt and misgivings is definitely not what I would want if I am a patient. My surgeon should have steady hands and the situation as I see is that they are feeling alienated, isolated, without a shred of support from their seniors and from the rest of the nation. At this age they should have been enthusiastic, motivated and with a desire to learn. There is something systemically wrong with postgraduate training and functioning of Government hospitals in West Bengal but also in other states. It is this systemic corruption and criminalization which the resident doctors in West Bengal are protesting against.
Expecting the State or Union Government to take remedial action is like asking the lion to become vegetarian. Courts which are eager to sou moto take up issues of much lesser gravity seem unmoved. The doctors have an issue and the issue is related to how healthcare is provided and how doctors are being trained but no one is listening. Medical education has become a cash cow to be milked ab infinitum by those in power.
The very minimum which is needed is R G Kar recognition to continue PG and superspecialty NMC recognized training should be suspended. Existing students shifted to other medical colleges. Fresh inspections by NMC should be made before deciding whether the institution has requisite infrastructure, human resource, and SOPs to provide quality training in a safe and secure environment to medical students.
A residents on duty death should be compensated with punitive and non punitive damages payable by the hospital and the Government which not only compensates the loss (in terms of earning 1.8 cr) but also acts as a deterrent for any other institution(50 cr) and by National Medical Commission which endorses such institutions as appropriate places for postgraduate and superspecialty training (50 crore). Such punitive damages will encourage introspection by these institutions and NMC so that they ensure that such an incident does not repeat itself.
Corruption in medical education needs to be rooted out without remorse. Ownership of private medical colleges by politicians should be treated as conflict of interest and any owner of a medical college wanting joining politics should be disqualified unless he severs all ties with the medical college. Laws related to medical education passed by legislature / parliament which had owners of private medical colleges as sitting members should be repealed immediately citing conflict of interest.