This letter would be in response to the published letter of a Dr Anthony Rodrigues, from Sanguem, titled “Shame on you, doctors”. Firstly I feel there might be a typing error on the part of Herald, since I find it difficult to believe a fellow doctor abusing the very profession that feeds him.
Secondly, certain points need clarification, in order to put a stop to this disturbing trend of hate propaganda against doctors. We doctors too, though Mr Rodrigues may not believe, came into this Earth the same way all human beings did. We were not beamed down with any alien powers and neither were we born with supernatural powers. We too have parents, siblings and children and we understand what it means to fall ill and sometimes lose a loved one.
Before you point fingers accusing many of us of being money hungry, do also remember that the government does not provide free education to those who choose to become a doctor. We spend our youth buried deep in books, sacrificing most worldly pleasures in order to serve you later in life.
Some of us privileged few enter medical institutes through merit, and those who miss out due to reservation et.al have their parents mortgage personal belongings in order to see them get through. We too have a personal life and have responsibilities to fulfill at home. So instead of tarnishing the image of a doctor who may make a small white lie, in order to get much deserved rest, do empathize and find a doctor who will see you promptly.
I am sure if you turned up during general clinic hours, you would not be turned away. And during unearthly hours, we have hospitals set up to provide the necessary immediate care.
We have a family to feed, children to educate and loans to pay off. We certainly do not receive any free dole outs for the above, and would definitely not be in a position to dole out the same to you. We do our best to save lives with whatever resources are available at hand. There maybe times when we fail to perform our duties properly, for which we do have a legal system. Becoming violent and bad mouthing will not only do harm to the profession but also indirectly to you,
since it will prevent the new generation from taking up this profession. And as it is there is a general shortage of doctors.
This issue basically cropped up due to closure of medical facilities during an inspection. It is definitely unacceptable and the authorities should be questioned and held responsible.
But at the same time, try not to flare up at the smallest available opportunity to spew venom on the medical profession. Hopefully this article will help the general populace to further understand this profession.
