The Hippocratic Oath embodies the selflessness of the medical profession. It is a covenant binding a doctor to always put his patient above all else. However, the actions of young doctors are a far cry from this popular image. To see doctors behaving little better than ruffians and skirmishing with the police casts an indelible stain on the noble occupation.
The crippling strike of the young doctors is now claiming lives; at least 40 patients, mostly infants, have expired due to the absence of doctors in critical positions. That their actions are seemingly abetted by senior staff is further troubling. The fact that they are playing with the lives of those they are supposedly committed to nurse back to health betrays startling callousness. Are strikes the only legitimate recourse that doctors are left with to meet their demands or are there other, more effective, means?
Nonetheless, one must accept the fact that the strike of the Young Doctors Association (YDA) is driven by legitimate concerns, or at least it was. Although having initially indicated that it would end its strike after accepting a bump in salaries and the provision of medical facilities for their families and security, the organisation has now apparently taken offense that the government has failed to give concrete assurances on a raise of Rs 20,000, a significant sum. At a time when the government is attempting to tamp down on expenditure and is heavily indebted, one fails to see how a single group can justifiably be given such preferential treatment.
The pursuit of individual interests must not impinge upon the running of government machinery. This requires that the government be proactive rather than reactive in meeting the requirements of public staff. But this must not degenerate into a carte blanche for special interest groups. If other professionals resort to similar tactics, it could pose untold consequences for society as a whole.
