Clean chit to Max doctors in baby death : media reverse news, but mistrust generated in medical profession irreversible

After five months of the incidence, media has now decided to place the correct picture before public. A fact which was very clear to medical fraternity  at the onset, was presented by section of media in a twisted form.  Venomous propaganda and unilateral versions  by media were  projected as doctor’s error, maligning the profession fully. Now the media has to give the correct picture to public after DMC inquiry. But due to wrong information propagated at that time, an environment of mistrust has been generated. Media jumped to wrong  and premature conclusions,   which  created a sense of uncertainties in the minds of patients.  Untrue assertions  about medical profession and maligning of doctors  were propagated just to  create a sensation.  Projection of true picture  by media is   of  great importance and need of hour. If media propagates a stray incidence  and makes sensational news out of nothing, it will further erode trust of public in medical profession. Media people will earn fame and money at the cost of people lives. Mistrust thus generated is definitely detrimental to medical profession as a whole, but in the long run it  will cause  irreversible harm to society.

The Delhi Medical Council (DMC) has given a clean chit to the doctors at Max Shalimar Bagh in a case where a new born was allegedly wrongly declared dead. His parents discovered that the baby was still alive when they were going to cremate him.
The state medical council, in its report to Delhi Police’s crime branch which is probing the case, has stated that the parents of the new born, delivered at 23 weeks of pregnancy, had signed the Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) document.

“International medical literature clearly suggests that fetus less than 24 weeks, if born, is not viable and not likely to survive. The Delhi Registration of Birth and Death Rules, 1999, prescribe that 28 weeks is period of gestation for it to be viable,” said Dr Girish Tyagi, registrar of DMC.  He added that there were procedural lapses and inadequate documentation, which was probably due to absence of standard operating guidelines when managing such cases. “We have written to the Centre and the state to develop protocol for dealing with them in the future,” Tyagi said.

Media should be  show responsibility and refrain from making early conclusions specially in cases involving medical complexities. Defaming the medical profession just on unilateral version of the story may help  media make some money but can be highly detrimental for the society in future.   Damage to doctor patient relationship and trust is irreversible. Can now media undo the damage done to medical profession and mistrust generated between patient and doctor?