"Sir, that application of the
resident doctor has come back from the office. The Academic Boss has
written the certificate asked for cannot be given."
I remembered the case. This resident
doctor had been our postgraduate student. She needed a certificate
that she had observed obstetric ultrasonography, because the local
civic medical officer was sealing ultrasonography machines of doctors
who were MD but did not have such a certificate. It was blatantly
illegal, but civic employees in a position of power often harassed
people who could be harassed. I had got her claim verified and sent
the application to the Big Boss that the certificate could be issued.
He had attested it. Now it was back to us.
"Let me see" I said. The
clerk handed the paper over to me.
"Observing ultrasonography is not
a part of Obstetrics Gynecology curriculum" it was remarked.
"This office has never issued a certificate like this before. So
it will not be possible to issue one now.” It was signed by the
Academic Boss.
“It is funny” I said. “I must
find out how this happened.” I called the office, and traced the
head clerk who had drafted that letter, and had got the Academic Boss
to sign it.
“I am new here” she said. “The
clerk met the Academic Boss and got it done.”
Please put him on the line” I
requested. He came on line after a delay.
“How do you understand something is
not in the obstetric and gynecological curriculum, or how does the
Academic Boss do so, being from a different specialty, when I as the
head of obstetrics and gynecology have certified that it is?”
He had no answer.
“And if the Big Boss has consented to
issue a certificate, how do you get his junior officer to cancel the
decision?” I asked.
“The Big Boss does not understand
anything!” he said. “He signs on any letter.”
I was aghast. A low level clerk thought
he knew much better than the chief of the institute and controller of
many other major hospitals and medical education. Not only that, but
he had the expertise to manipulate the Academic Boss to reverse a
decision of the Big Boss. I only hoped that no one would tell the Big
Boss what one of his clerks thought and said about him. “But it is
known. Was it not a mere clothes washer (there were no launderers
then) who had maligned Lord Ramachandra and Goddess Sitamai
in Ramayana?
