Why national IMA wants action against a cabinet minister?

Teachers' day lesson for doctors

You may be a top-notch medical expert in your specialisation concerned with a high self-esteem and standing among your peers, but everything can come to a naught in one single moment.

In India, your reputation, qualifications, the international conferences you attended as a special invitee, the standing among your peer group and medicos can bite the dust if you commit the mistake of treating the mother or any relative of a politician.

Well, mother's position is equal to God but the doctors too enjoyed the same position until recently but seem to have turned demonic these days as they are being used as punching bags by all and sundry by those who do not have any understanding of medicine!


It is important to understand the work profile of a doctor. Unlike a politician flaunting his VIP status with security and his henchmen following the convoy and doing most of his works through phone calls, a doctor attends to each of his patients equally.

While all patients are treated equally, the seriousness of a case decides which patient he or she must give special attention in order to save their lives.

This is contrary to how people treat politicians as they are used to hog all attention in whatever company they are in. What do you see when a politician walks into a restaurant or a theatre or a marriage function? Everyone sprang to attention but the problem crops up if they expect the same attention from a doctor when they visit a hospital.

Once their ego is hurt, they attack.


The assault 

This is what happened in January 2017 when Karnataka's Uttara Kannada BJP MP Anant Kumar Hegde bashed up two doctors and a hospital staff in a private hospital in Sirsi town after they allegedly delayed treatment of his ailing mother.

It turned out that the MP's mother had sustained a leg fracture but why did he want the doctors to experience the pain of his mother this way is not clear.

There are CCTV footage about the entire episode that shows how the MP dragged Dr GV Madhukeshwar and kicked him. The MP also attacked Dr Balachandra Bhat and hospital worker Rahul Musharkar. Check this media report. 


Also Read: Why junior doctors have become temple bells in govt medical colleges?


The aftermath

 Well, as can be understood in such situation, the police downplays such incidents. Whether he belongs to ruling or opposition party is immaterial.

National IMA sources said that Sirsi police registered a suo-motu case against Hegde on the basis of evidence from CCTV footage but even today, no evidences have been recorded or CC TV footage coverage put on FIR record. The FIR also did not have the name of all the three culprits.

What has further infuriated the national IMA has been the elevation of Hegde after Narendra Modi government inducted him into the union cabinet in the latest reshuffle.

This prompted Dr KK Aggarwal, National President, Indian Medical Association (IMA) to address an open letter to PM Narendra Modi.

"The local Sirsi Association of Medical Consultants at Sirsi also filed a complaint in the local court asking for a fair and free trial and requested the court to direct the police to record the evidences. Instead of taking any action against him or getting a fair enquiry done he has been inducted into the Union Cabinet & rewarded instead," he writes in his open letter.

In fact, Dr KK Aggarwal went on to remind the PM his own stand regarding violence against medical professionals in a speech documented by MCI.  Check this link.  (poor sound quality)


The explosive open letter 

While questioning the rationale of making someone a cabinet minister for indulging in violence against doctors, the IMA's explosive open letter bares out their anguish in detail. The letter can be truly titled as "All Doctors' Mann Ki Baat"

It is not clear why so called media (the great fourth pillar of democracy) did not write a single line about Uttara Kannada BJP MP Anant Kumar Hegde's violence against medical professionals soon after his name was announced. It is also doubtful if the media will publish the content of IMA's letter in toto.

In the meantime, doctors should remain safe and it is better if IMA forces the MCI to introduce a certificate course in martial arts and boxing for medicos in medical colleges.

If not, doctors should be given either a gun licence or a private security guard by the police.


Bottomline: It is risky to treat politicians or their relatives.

Also Read:  Violence Against Doctors: Why Police Treat Accused With Kid Gloves in Hyderabad?