On 1st July Prime Minister tweeted “Doctors Day greetings to all hardworking doctors who play a key role in saving lives and making our planet healthier”. He added “Doctors become angel and save our life and in fact give new life by curing the disease. Doctors save lives and we are indebted for life by these Doctors.” The tweet of the Hon’ble Prime Minister reflects the immense respect the doctor community have and which they deserve for offering their services to save humanity even at the cost of their own life as was evident in the Covid pandemic.
Unfortunately the doctors are now making news for all the wrong reason which include rape, child trafficking, drug peddling, cheating, fraud, bribery and so on. “What will be the perception of common man towards doctors after going through these news items ?”. It only makes the common man change its perception of doctor – The Doctor becomes fiend from man of God. The regular attack on doctors are the reflection of this perception of common man. The Mangaluru drug case is one step ahead which is more worrisome and has devastated the image of doctors. In the Mangaluru drug case a total of three doctors and six medical students, including women doctors have been arrested for their involvement in drug peddling. In earlier cases individual doctors were involved in a criminal activity but in Mangaluru drug case a group of nine individuals from medical fraternity were involved. It points to a serious shortcoming in the overall education of doctors with regards to moral education. The Hippocratic Oath which states that “Doctors to carry out of their life and their profession in purity and according to divine law” has fallen apart. The entire case points toward the inability of the doctors to understand their novel profession.
The need of the hour is that the Medical Colleges and Medical Associations should seriously take into account the evolving situation with regards to the moral aspects of the doctors. Young doctors have taken to criminal activities with serious repercussion which will affect their future. The Medical Associations should publicly condemn these acts. Also deterrents like expelling these ill-reputed doctors from Association, their social boycott and other deterring acts should be chalked out by the Associations. Finally the Associations should time and again remind the doctors of the Hippocratic Oath and assert each and every doctor to follow the oath in letter and spirit.
Dr. Bhushan Kedari
Editor