There is a stark difference in the kind of media projection, burden of negligence and accountability of preventable multiple healthy deaths by civic negligence as compared to one hospital death by disease. In fact the burden of negligence here in healthy deaths is massive and these deaths are unpardonable. But reality is opposite. Strangely “alleged and perceived negligence” ( with no proof and no investigation ) in death of someone already having disease and death in hospital during treatment attracts more scrutiny and stringent punishment a naked “negligence in deaths of healthy people” in such cases of civic negligence.
In an unfortunate incident at Varanasi , at least 19 people were crushed to death and more than a dozen injured after two concrete beams fell off 40 foot-high pillars at an under construction flyover in Varanasi on Tuesday evening. Massive civic negligence again leading to entirely preventable loss of lives. These incidents bring fore to my mind the misplaced priorities of media and society which too have contributed to some extent to these unabated ongoing preventable deaths of hundreds of healthy people.
Multiple Deaths in healthy people by civic negligence :
Large numbers of death and morbidity happen amongst absolutely healthy population due to preventable causes like open manholes, drains, live electric wires, water contamination, dengue, malaria, recurring floods etc. These deaths of people are in thousands, and are almost entirely of healthy people, who otherwise were not at risk of death. In fact the burden of negligence here is massive and these deaths are unpardonable. It’s time media took it upon itself to bring to fore these issues before accidents, so that many innocent lives. Timely action can prevent these deaths.
Single Death in Hospital due to disease:
The media has always, instead, focused on the stray and occasional incidents of perceived alleged negligence in hospital deaths which could have occurred due to critical medical condition of patient. However an impression is created as if the doctors have killed a healthy person. It is assumed without any investigation that it was doctor’s fault. Media has been responsible for creating a misunderstanding about the whole process of treatment. They have ignored other important things like civic negligence and has instead trained their entire energy in blaming the doctors in an effort to get something sensational out of nothing.
The whole blame is cleverly put on doctors. Even after doing everything possible, doctor may be running for his life, trying to save himself from goons. He may be an object for revenge. He may be running after lawyers, if a medical lawsuit is filed. Even if court give the judgement after decades in favour of doctor, harassment of the doctor is permanent and irreversible damage is done to doctor. He is already punished.
Here it will be seen later, whether some one can be punished or not.
Point to ponder-Misplaced priorities:
Who is to be blamed for the deaths of healthy people which occur because of civic negligence? Here relatives may be helpless and the vital questions may go unanswered or taken as a routine. There are no punching bags like doctor for revenge. Any stray incident of death of an already ill patient is blown out of proportion by media forgetting the fact that thousands of patients are saved everyday by doctors. But media instead chose to defame medical profession by igniting the emotions of people by sensationalising death of diseased and ill, who probably were already at risk of death and did not give due importance to highlighting prevention of healthy and absolutely 100% preventable deaths.
Right issues raised at right time will save thousands of healthy preventable deaths. Multiple healthy deaths should carry more burden of negligence than one death due to disease.
True to the core of reality … media is to be Blaimed but yes doctors clinician too should have taken up as protest n shown the media ..
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