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In poor light
The accusations hurled by a father from Kharsom village, Ukhrul district, against two doctors, of RIMS for refusing to perform an ENT surgery on his eight year old son because the family members of the patient had failed to pay ‘tips’ to the doctors is a serious matter and RIMS authority should not take the matter lightly but act with the urgency it deserves and pull up the two doctors, if he charges are proved. More than anything else the news (as reported in the local dailies in the April 20 edition) has cast serious aspersions not only on the two doctors involved but on the whole medical fraternity.
That the numerous medical associations have preferred to keep quiet over the whole matter is also a matter of serious concern as it can give the impression that all doctors have at one time or other expected and received ‘tips’ from the patient party for performing any surgical operation. Technically speaking ‘tips’ cannot be equated with bribery and is offered to show gratitude for a service rendered, but if a situation arise when doctors expect family members of any patient to cough up the ‘tips’ then it may well amount accepting bribes.
As per the contention of the aggrieved father, the two doctors did not perform the surgical operation on his 8 year old son because they had not paid the tips to the doctors. If true this should not be tolerated at any cost. RIMS or for that matter any Government hospital should not be reduced to centers of ‘commercial transactions’ where the doctors and patient party have to arrive at an amicable understating over the ‘tips’ to be paid for any treatment. Even if the charges against the two doctors are not proved then RIMS has to come up with a plausible explanation why the scheduled operation was not conducted even after the ante-operation drugs were administered and the father had given his consent for the operation to be performed.
As the petition filed with the Manipur Human Rights Commission said, the patient was even wheeled into the operation theatre before the doctors abruptly left without much of an explanation.
If such an incident can occur in the premier hospital of the State then the situation in the district hospitals and other Government medical centers can only be imagined. Doctors need to realize that they are not dealing with inanimate objects but with human beings who have feelings and sentiments. Expecting ‘tips’ may be not from the legal point of view, but certainly from the human aspect. Again a question may be asked whether the two doctors would have had the
audacity to call off the ‘well connected’ families. Remember the patient had come from far away Kharsom village in Ukhrul district and the conduct of the two doctors is a slap on the face of not only the whole medical fraternity in the State but also on humanity.
In recent times many a confrontation between doctors and patient parties have been reported in the local press and while it is not the case of this paper to say which side of the two contending parties are right, it would definitely help a lot if the medical fraternity for once delve deep into their heart and do some soul searching. Tips offered or refused should not influence the doctors in discharging their duties.
(Courtesy: The Sangai Express)
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