We received a circular from the Boss' Boss about maintaining operation theater data in each OT. It said it was sent as per instructions of Boss' Boss' Boss, i.e. Boss of the sender of the circular. A format for the maintenance of the data was attached in the form of a table. The first row of the table (containing the headings of the columns or data fields) is reproduced here as an image.
There were instructions that information should also be included on how many operations were done by each employee. The data was to be reviewed by heads of departments and Deans, and corrective steps were to be taken as required. It seemed the Big Boss had started something really commendable. Knowing the reasons why operations got postponed, one could take measures to prevent such an occurrence. Knowing which employees did a lot work did not help those employees in the form of a raise or bonus, but knowing which ones were drawing salary without actually doing much work would help putting them to work. The Big Boss had given good instructions. But while preparing the table, someone had goofed up.
There was a heading 'Elective Deaths' which stumped us all.
I called the Boss' secretary and said the circular was not clear to us.
"It has come from the office of the Boss' Boss" I was told by way of an explanation. "I will call that office and get an explanation." I got an answering email in the afternoon. The heading 'elective deaths' was as it was before. I called a meeting of all faculty.
"Can deaths be elective?" someone mused.
"Euthanasia is not legal in our country" a second person said.
"Even if it were legal, one would not operate to give death to the patient. There would be no guarantee that the patient would die due to the operation" a third person said.
"A doctor saves lives. We all do. Even non-doctors understand that. Who would have thought doctors in the civic hospitals handed out elective deaths to their patients?" the first person said.
"The Big Boss must be IAS. The Boss' Boss is not a medico" a fourth person told us, though we knew that already.
"IAS persons would not make such a mistake" I said. "I have talked to the Big Boss in a meeting. He is just brilliant and very capable. Perhaps it was the clerk who goofed up?"
"That may be so" a wise one said.
I wrote to the Boss "I have not understood the meaning of 'elective deaths'. Some of our operated patients sometimes die. But none of the deaths are elective. Kindly obtain an explanation.'" I am yet to receive an explanation.
There were instructions that information should also be included on how many operations were done by each employee. The data was to be reviewed by heads of departments and Deans, and corrective steps were to be taken as required. It seemed the Big Boss had started something really commendable. Knowing the reasons why operations got postponed, one could take measures to prevent such an occurrence. Knowing which employees did a lot work did not help those employees in the form of a raise or bonus, but knowing which ones were drawing salary without actually doing much work would help putting them to work. The Big Boss had given good instructions. But while preparing the table, someone had goofed up.
There was a heading 'Elective Deaths' which stumped us all.
I called the Boss' secretary and said the circular was not clear to us.
"It has come from the office of the Boss' Boss" I was told by way of an explanation. "I will call that office and get an explanation." I got an answering email in the afternoon. The heading 'elective deaths' was as it was before. I called a meeting of all faculty.
"Can deaths be elective?" someone mused.
"Euthanasia is not legal in our country" a second person said.
"Even if it were legal, one would not operate to give death to the patient. There would be no guarantee that the patient would die due to the operation" a third person said.
"A doctor saves lives. We all do. Even non-doctors understand that. Who would have thought doctors in the civic hospitals handed out elective deaths to their patients?" the first person said.
"The Big Boss must be IAS. The Boss' Boss is not a medico" a fourth person told us, though we knew that already.
"IAS persons would not make such a mistake" I said. "I have talked to the Big Boss in a meeting. He is just brilliant and very capable. Perhaps it was the clerk who goofed up?"
"That may be so" a wise one said.
I wrote to the Boss "I have not understood the meaning of 'elective deaths'. Some of our operated patients sometimes die. But none of the deaths are elective. Kindly obtain an explanation.'" I am yet to receive an explanation.
