We have Resident Doctors who are not necessarily local students. Many of them come from other parts of the state or even another state. They are sort of alone in a different city, away from family and friends. They sometimes have their health problems, sometimes family issues or social issues, which make a few of them do things that have little to do with patient care and their own education.
There was a resident doctor who left her hostel room one morning but did not reach the ward. She was not to be found anywhere and could not be reached on her mobile phone. Her home was not in this city. Her parents did not know her whereabouts. We were worried, knowing what can happen to women sometimes, though this city is considered reasonably safe. When she came back a few days later, she said - "I left my room. I don't remember what happened afterwards. I suddenly realized I was at the airport. So I boarded a plane and went to my brother in Bangalore."
I have no answer how she lost contact with this world until she reached the airport, how she had enough money to get a ticket to Bangalore, how a flight was available at that time, and why she would not tell her colleagues or boss or even parents when she realized what she was doing.
Then there was a resident doctor who went to her home for a couple of days, did not come back for a month, had switched off her phone all the time, while we all were worried. We had reason for worry, because there had been that sexual assault and murder case at Delhi recently, and her home was up north somewhere where it was as safe or unsafe as in Delhi, if not worse.
Then there was a Resident doctor who went away without any notice, came back after a few weeks, said he was not feeling OK and went away again. He is still away.
"Sir, how does the health university allow all this?" someone asked me.
"That is a question only the university officials can answer" I said.
"What about their education?"
"That is a question only the concerned students and the university offiicials can answer" I said. "We cannot teach them while they are away."
"What about the patient care? Don't they feel any responsibility towards their patients?"
"They do what they do because they probably believe that is right. They would probably not be comfortable with themselves if they thought they were doing wrong. Who are we to decide what is right and what is wrong for them?"
"But what about the people they will treat when they practice on their own? If they have this sort of education, experience and attitude, what will happen to their patients?"
"You think too much" I said. "God has made this world the way it is. Since we cannot change it, we have to believe that God will help these doctors and/or their patients."
Addition: 22-04-2013
There was a news item in the newspaper today. One resident doctor in our hospital's orthopedic section went missing. The hostel warden apparently filed a missing person complaint with the police, and a search is on. I wonder why doctors go missing from our department for days, weeks and sometimes more than a month, but the police are not informed by the hostel warden or the hospital administration. I hope someone tells me some day.
There was a resident doctor who left her hostel room one morning but did not reach the ward. She was not to be found anywhere and could not be reached on her mobile phone. Her home was not in this city. Her parents did not know her whereabouts. We were worried, knowing what can happen to women sometimes, though this city is considered reasonably safe. When she came back a few days later, she said - "I left my room. I don't remember what happened afterwards. I suddenly realized I was at the airport. So I boarded a plane and went to my brother in Bangalore."
I have no answer how she lost contact with this world until she reached the airport, how she had enough money to get a ticket to Bangalore, how a flight was available at that time, and why she would not tell her colleagues or boss or even parents when she realized what she was doing.
Then there was a resident doctor who went to her home for a couple of days, did not come back for a month, had switched off her phone all the time, while we all were worried. We had reason for worry, because there had been that sexual assault and murder case at Delhi recently, and her home was up north somewhere where it was as safe or unsafe as in Delhi, if not worse.
Then there was a Resident doctor who went away without any notice, came back after a few weeks, said he was not feeling OK and went away again. He is still away.
"Sir, how does the health university allow all this?" someone asked me.
"That is a question only the university officials can answer" I said.
"What about their education?"
"That is a question only the concerned students and the university offiicials can answer" I said. "We cannot teach them while they are away."
"What about the patient care? Don't they feel any responsibility towards their patients?"
"They do what they do because they probably believe that is right. They would probably not be comfortable with themselves if they thought they were doing wrong. Who are we to decide what is right and what is wrong for them?"
"But what about the people they will treat when they practice on their own? If they have this sort of education, experience and attitude, what will happen to their patients?"
"You think too much" I said. "God has made this world the way it is. Since we cannot change it, we have to believe that God will help these doctors and/or their patients."
Addition: 22-04-2013
There was a news item in the newspaper today. One resident doctor in our hospital's orthopedic section went missing. The hostel warden apparently filed a missing person complaint with the police, and a search is on. I wonder why doctors go missing from our department for days, weeks and sometimes more than a month, but the police are not informed by the hostel warden or the hospital administration. I hope someone tells me some day.
