Sunday 11 June 2017

It’s not a time to celebrate: We are in pain

It’s not a time to celebrate: We are in pain Invitation vs Information: IMA speaks with one voice Dr KK Aggarwal National President IMA & HCFI ‘IMA Dilli Chalo: Enough is enough’ movement held in the national capital was a historical success and witnessed a record participation of doctors from across the country. Yet, few doctors felt that they had not been invited to participate in the movement. Here, we must take cognizance of the difference between invitation and information. Invitations are issued to celebrate a happy occasion, while information is given for any mishap or sad event. The ‘IMA Dilli Chalo’ movement was not a happy occasion. It was an expression of the pain and the misery of the medical profession in the country. Information about the movement was issued at regular intervals. We even expressed our distress to the Hon’ble Prime Minister through advertisement in the leading newspapers of the country. Islam regards each individual as ‘khuda ka banda’. In the event of a death, they join the family without asking who that person was or even questioning themselves as to why they should be a part of that event. Dosti Ke Nam Pe Diwane Chale Aate Hain. Shama Ke Piche Parwane Chale Aate Hain. Tumhe Yad Na Aayee Khair. Aana Meri Maut Par. Us Din To Begane Bhi Chale Aate Hain. All should be one in times of misery and pain… Our Upanishads also teach us the concept of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, which means "the whole world is one family". And that's what happened. The critical mass of collective consciousness crossed and over one lakh medical doctors got connected to each other that day in the protest. The Dilli Chalo movement was a milestone in the history of IMA. But, its success is not to be celebrated. Instead, we should ask ourselves why we were forced to even consider the idea of a protest. We are doctors, a fraternity that has been accorded the status of next to God since Vedic times. Medical profession is regarded as a noble profession and no other profession has been given a similar high status. “Doctors treat, but God heals” is a well-known saying. The Dilli Chalo movement was organized to make our voice heard and to bring to the attention of the Nation the plight of the medical profession in the country today. We are in pain…The profession is facing its worst period. Justice is being denied to doctors even within the framework of the constitution of India. Violence against doctors is increasing with alarming frequency all over the country; hospitals and medical establishments are ransacked. The risk of physical assault has created an atmosphere of fear among doctors. Doctors are being criminally prosecuted, suffer the indignity and trauma of an unlawful arrest even without being convicted of the negligence by a court of law. Also, we are being deprived of our professional autonomy. IMA has been raising its voice against these and many other such issues at various platforms, but to no avail. Repeated appeals by the medical fraternity have materialized into nothing but reassurances to a point when we realized that ‘enough is enough’. We speak the loudest when we speak with one voice… Our next slogan is “Do not force us to go on strike from 18th August, 2017”, “Solve our miseries: We are not happy”. Dr KK Aggarwal National President IMA

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