A Requiem for the Doctors of Pakistan
A Doctor simply defined is a legally qualified person with a legal license to practice medicine within a certain jurisdiction, intended for the sole purpose of serving mankind, for restoring their state of good/normal health both mental and physical. A doctors’ profession was once considered as a very noble profession, far beyond the reach of commoners. It required intense studying for hours on end, sleepless nights, a lot of caffeine and a whole lot of patience. Skills had to be perfected before they were allowed to go near humans to mark the beginning of their career. Doctors have been a part history since times undocumented, they have been given various names over the times. While they were referred to as healers with their magical potions that could make pain and all other ailments and diseases disappear. They were revered like a god and in many countries, even today, they continue to be revered as a being of the other world. This fact however does not hold true for the other, less developed parts of the world, where the profession of medicine has fallen into wrong hands especially in Southeast Asia and more specifically in our beloved homeland Pakistan.
In our country, as revered as the profession may be, has completely fallen off track and continues to wander astray. The majority of graduates from medical colleges are nothing but a bunch of gold diggers, hungry for money. With no proper studying and guidance they are out there killing or otherwise hurting human beings, people much like myself, with flesh and blood, like a bunch of butchers only these butchers come with a degree that deems them qualified to do so. The Pakistani doctors’ are a lot like the knight with shinning armors of shakes spears’ novels and for good reason too. This degree validates there stature in the society. A degree from any pathetic medical college makes them famous overnight and they suddenly become the most eligible bachelor/bachelorette in the vicinity leaving others to wonder if that was the original intent behind their degree. Truth be told they are more like a fool wrapped in tin foil least bothered by the ordeals they make people go through and completely oblivious of the original intent of this degree. Their apathetic yet audacious nature makes one ponder whether it was the patient who was wrong. Not that there are no good Doctors in Pakistan, but they are becoming a rare breed. Every new doctor is more bank account oriented then the previous one. The number of uncertified medical colleges in this country are alarming. A medical college around every corner means less and less qualified personnel as we move forward. Not only do they lack skill but are also negligent of the needs of people. Their absolute refusal to serve outside of their comfort zone is not the least bit surprising. More patients die while trying to get better at the hands of a doctor. A lot of both the young and senior doctors are involved in malpractices. The illegal buying and selling of organs, drugs without prescriptions are all common practices. Many mothers die while die in labor owing to their mismanagement and others are convinced by these gore, thirsty, gold diggers to undergo C-section, just because the latter involves more money whilst completely ignoring the fact that this undeniably puts both the lives of the fetus and the mother in immense danger and many a times these attempts end up being fatal.
The two extremes of ages, the pediatrics and geriatrics are the ones at the highest risk. These two extremes tend to attract diseases and require good care. It is due to the lack of interest, stubbornness and hard headedness of our so-called highly qualified medical personnel that our infantile mortality/morbidity rate is at an all-time high, while our geriatrics suffer diseases of varying types and kind and varying severity at the hands of our malicious few. Our elected governments and legislative bodies continue to live in their oblivion, as always unaware of the issues that a commoner is made to face. The profession that was once deemed noble and highly respectable has now been reduced to nothing but a malicious circle of blood sucking vampires in this profession solely for the big bucks!
Pakistani parents can be rightfully held responsible for a large percentage of this poorly orchestrated blood bath by them gold diggers. Right from their childhood they are brainwashed against any other profession that may pose as a potential obstacle in their becoming a doctor. They’re only made to see that the doctors earn big time forgetting that in order to get their they may have to spend an entire fortune on their child, a fortune he/she might not even be able to reciprocate. Stories of courage and bravery are told and sold day and night, night and day, round the clock on repeat of how some doctor miraculously saved the day, and while some of these stories might even be true most of them aren’t. Effective blackmailing tactics are also practiced if the child dare go in a different. When it comes to choosing between the revered profession and the less revered ones, our adored desi parents put on their game faces.
It needs to be understood that not every child was meant to be a doctor, its’ like that a fish cannot be expected to climb a tree and a cat cannot be expected to swim. Not every new born is math genius, not every kid should be expected to have perfect understanding of sciences, just like literature doesn’t make sense to many so does science. Its’ fair of the parents to brainwash their child. Every child should be allowed to grow on his own and while it is important that their activities be regularly monitored they should be given a certain degree of freedom in making the choice of their careers.
In addition our qualified doctors also need to remind themselves of the Hippocrates oath. The oath that tells them to hold true to themselves and their people and do right by them and serve them as best a possible no matter what happens. They need to remind themselves about the basic reason of fame this profession, serving mankind. The saying “doctor k haath men shifa hay” desperately needs to be revitalized before people lose their faith.
Our governments also need to take due action, a lot relies on them. With proper laws made and implemented a difference can be made. Penalties should be set for those putting the lives of innocent patients at risk and due punishments should be given to those guilty of misconduct. Such steps will not only set an example for the doctors next in line but will issue a warning to the doctors already practicing medicine that their actions will not go unnoticed and that right action will be taken. Give them the wakeup call they are in dire need of.
SUBMITTED BY: SYED SHAH RUKH ALI
CLASS: M.Sc MASS COMMUNICATION
SEMESTER: 3rd
CMS: 23271
