"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?
