#Doctors-‘Earn Hundreds & Pay Back Millions’ #USG-Lab-Nagpur to Pay 1. 25 Cr Compensation

Large claims granted by courts are incentives for patients and lawyers for putting medical lawsuits. In an era, where people fight with their parents, brothers and sisters for money and property, it will be naive to think that idea of making money from doctor does not exist. With court compensations going into crores, many times patient’s relatives try to use the opportunity. Now-a-days medical professionals need to not only be thorough with their medical subjects and the medico-legal implications, but also need to be careful about how courts may interpret the medical processes. What doctors think is a correct medical process, but it can be interpreted as negligence, in case of an adverse outcome. Other contributing factors that nail down medical profession are the sympathy to the patient and wisdom of hindsight, which everyone is flushed with as an after event.

Is there any other profession, which has such kind of pathetic arrangement? The sufferers of such pitiable deals are doctors. An average doctors studies for decades and treats hundreds of patients for peanuts (Few hundred rupees). For one alleged mistake or just a legal interpretation is forced to pay millions for an incident, which can be merely procedural or circumstantial mistake.

Why one should be putting his/her future into such pathetic arrangements? The inspiring doctors need to think.

Large claims granted by courts are incentives for patients and lawyers for putting medical lawsuits. In an era, where people fight with their parents, brothers and sisters for money and property, it will be naive to think that idea of making money from doctor does not exist.

Now-a-days medical professionals need to not only be thorough with their medical subjects and the medico-legal implications, but also need to be careful about how courts may interpret the medical processes. What doctors think is a correct medical process, but it can be interpreted as negligence, in case of an adverse outcome. Other contributing factors that nail down medical profession are the sympathy to the patient and wisdom of hindsight, which everyone is flushed with as an after event.

Large compensations against medical profession are the single important factor can increase the cost of healthcare and demoralize medical profession. Doctors are always on the receiving end in case of an adverse outcome. Medical problems are very complex and sometimes it is difficult to judge the future course of disease as well as court interpretation of medical science, especially with retrospective wisdom by courts. Summarily doctors have to safeguard themselves from treatment as well as legal and documentation hassles.

Every case that goes to court involves lawyers and their expensive fees. Most of the time even though the doctors may be right, he has to defend himself with the help of lawyers. Law industry has been benefitted enormously because of consumer protection act at the cost of doctors.

Strangely doctor’s fee are quite low but lawyers charges and court compensations are really astronomical amounts, which are beyond any logic.

New Delhi: In a landmark order, the National Consumer Commission (NCDRC) has ordered Nagpur-based Ultrasound Scanning and Imaging Center to pay a compensation of Rs 1.2 crore to a disabled child and his parents in a medical negligence case. The firm has been blamed for misreporting of ultrasound on four occasions during pregnancy, resulting in the birth of a child with congenital anomalies.
Congenital anomalies are defined as structural or functional anomalies that occur during intrauterine life. The commission held that the ultrasonology center also failed to offer to terminate the pregnancy, failing to diagnose defects at an early stage. The newborn had finger pain (complete absence), right leg below the knee and left leg below the ankle joint.
The clinic – Imaging Point – was run by Radiologist Dr Dilip Ghik in Nagpur. Holding him and his clinic responsible for their failure to detect structural anomalies of the fetus at 17-18 weeks, a two-member NCDRC bench comprising Justices RK Agrawal and SM Kantikar asked them to provide for the child’s welfare, future expenses asked to pay compensation for the treatment and purchase of limb prostheses.
The order said, “The amount shall be kept as a fixed deposit in any nationalized bank (preferably SBI) in the name of the child till he attains the age of majority. Parents can get periodic interest on the FD for regular health check-up, treatment and welfare of their child. It also directed the radiologists and their clinics to pay Rs 1 lakh towards legal expenses.
As per the commission’s order, in October 2006, the child’s mother, who was pregnant at the time, consulted a gynecologist and obstetrician. The next month the doctor referred the patient to the imaging point for ultrasonography of the pelvis. USG Ghik and reported normally. Three more ultrasounds were done by the Ultrasound Scanning Centre. All USGs were reported as “no obvious congenital anomalies in the abdomen and spine of the fetal head”.
But when the gynecologist performed an elective caesarean section and after the baby was born, the mother and all the attendants were shocked to see a “severely deformed male newborn”. The girl’s parents had alleged that all this happened due to the negligent ultrasound of the radiologist.
He had prayed for a compensation of Rs 10 crore to meet future expenses. But the radiologist denied any negligence in the patient’s USG report.

Advantages-Disadvantage of being a doctor

25 factors- why health care is expensive

REEL Heroes Vs Real Heroes

21 occupational risks to doctors and nurses

Covid paradox: salary cut for doctors other paid at home

Medical-Consumer protection Act- Pros and Cons

Expensive Medical College seat- Is it worth it?

June 2, 2022 0

A Central Law Needed for Violence against Doctors: IMA to NMC

Medical professionals often face a trade-off between the Hippocrates Oath that they take and the necessity of their own well-being.

Unfortunately, abusive and violent behaviour by patients or relatives or those accompanying patients has become one of the attendant risks of the medical profession. It is no surprise then that the medical fraternity has once again called upon the government to enact stringent laws and their proper implementation to curtail this kind of behaviour with the National Medical Commission (NMC) proposing that registered medical practitioners (RMPs) refuse to take on such cases.

The NMC (which replaced the Medical Council of India) is a body that regulates medical education and professionals.

The NMC’s Ethics and Medical Registration Board has issued draft regulations inviting comments from the public, experts, stakeholders and organisations on “National Medical Commission, Registered Medical Practitioner (Professional Conduct) Regulations 2022”.

Comments and suggestions on the draft proposal can be sent by June 22.

A Central Law Needed for violence against doctors: IMA to NMC

“In case of abusive, unruly, and violent patients or relatives, the RMP can document and report the behaviour and refuse to treat the patient. Such patients should be referred for further treatment elsewhere,” the draft proposal says.

“If a change of RMP is needed (for example, the patient needs a procedure done by another RMP), consent should be obtained from the patient himself or the guardian. The RMP who attends to the patient will be fully accountable for his actions and entitled to the appropriate fees,” it added.

Medical professionals often face a trade-off between the Hippocrates Oath that they take and the necessity of their own well-being. Sahajanand Prasad Singh, president, Indian Medical Association (IMA, a panel that represents doctors and their interests), said a doctor would be ethically wrong if he or she refuses treatment to someone in need. So the need of the hour is to have a central law to check such untoward incidents, said Dr Singh.

“The government passed an Epidemic Diseases (Amendment) Act in 2020 which provided acts of violence against healthcare personnel during any situation akin to current pandemic to be cognizable and nonbailable offences. This law should remain in force forever. If the NMC wants the welfare of doctors, they should work in that direction,” he added.

“The commission or abetment of such acts of violence shall be punished with imprisonment for a term of three months to five years, and with fine of Rs 50,000 to Rs 2,00,000,” says the Epidemic Diseases (Amendment) Act, 2020.

Former IMA president Rajan Sharma, who led a nationwide protest condemning violence against doctors in India, said without a Union home ministry law against attacks on doctors, these proposals would do very little to prevent incidents against healthcare workers.

“There has to be strong laws to deal with the rising cases of violence. The regulations made by NMC should be in tandem with the stringent laws from the Union home ministry,” Dr Sharma said.

On his part, IMA general secretary Jayesh Lele, “It’s only a draft regulation, we are going to submit our important observations to the NMC.”

Anuj Aggarwal, general secretary, Federation of Resident Doctors Association of India, said the RMP Professional Conduct Guidelines offers some breather for resident doctors but has some way to go.

“The guidelines give rightful exceptions to patients with life-threatening conditions, which is justified. However, it is important to consider that most of the events in which a patient’s attendants turn violent are when the patient is very critically ill. So this proposal has no role to play in the majority of such scenarios,” he said.

Dr Aggarwal said that while it is a welcome step to curb the issue of rising violence against doctors, a central law would be a better and more effective deterrent.

The government did propose a central protection act and a draft was put in the public domain in 2019 for feedback but it was put on the back burner.

Advantages-Disadvantage of being a doctor

25 factors- why health care is expensive

REEL Heroes Vs Real Heroes

21 occupational risks to doctors and nurses

Covid paradox: salary cut for doctors other paid at home

Medical-Consumer protection Act- Pros and Cons

Expensive Medical College seat- Is it worth it?

May 30, 2022 0

Dr Manjula Case NHS-UK: Semantics-Regulator’s own Fitness to Practice Doubtful? #GMC-UK

Regulation of the medical profession has become a tool to oppress doctors.

Dr Manjula Arora case (NHS-UK) unmasks the everyday struggle of the doctors in present era. Being undervalued and demonized, forced to work as sub-servant to administrators and regulators are considered new normal and has become an accepted form of harassment. Fatigue and burnout are thought to be routine side effects of being a doctor or nurse. The unhindered over-regulation has left no stone unturned in spreading hatred and creating an environment of mistrust against the medical profession. Single stray or a trivial incident is projected as an example to portray poor image of medical profession as generalization and as a token of the ‘excellent’ work done by administrators and regulators. Doctors have become soft targets because of their nature of work as they deal with life and death. Any trivial issues such as semantics used by Dr Manjula Arora (in this case) were blown out of proportion and GMC finds this as an opportunity to send a strict message to the whole profession. Such incidence show that regulators and administrators can use the nature of doctors’ work to be used against medical profession to make saviours as an easy prey for punishments on the pretext of dishonesty, negligence or semantics being used as legal weapons by law-enforcers, even in case of a perceived bias. In the process of such ‘tokenism’ administrators prove their relevance to the system.

Regulation of the medical profession has become a tool to oppress doctors. Driving the narrative of doctors as “perfect” beings causes more harm to the doctor-patient relationship than not. Constantly seeking to attain perfection is the very approach that leads to burn out, and more mistakes- causing patient harm.

Dr Manjula Arora’s case

Dr Arora has been a doctor since 1988 and is of good character. She asked her employer for a laptop. For context, most employees would reasonably expect their employer to provide work-related IT equipment. She was told that none were available, but her interest would be noted for the next roll-out. Many people would interpret this positive response to mean that they would get a laptop in due course. Clearly if her employer did not intend for her to have a laptop, they could simply have said so. Dr Arora spoke to her IT department about getting a laptop and said she had been ‘promised’ one.

And that’s it. That is the entire extent of her ‘misconduct’.

One could regard her statement as a minor exaggeration, or loose terminology, or careless language or verbal shorthand over a trivial subject. But no one should consider it to amount to ‘dishonesty’ unless interpret it in biased manner.

The tribunal took a different view. They concluded that ordinary, decent people would consider her use of the single word ‘promised’ as dishonest. The tribunal further decided that this so-called dishonesty amounted to misconduct.

They also considered that the misconduct was serious.

They decided her fitness to practice was impaired, and that it was necessary to suspend her to send a message to the profession.The regulator has a difficult task. Good regulation protects patients. Poor regulation harms patients, because doctors will run away from a toxic regulatory environment.

Manjula Arora case: the GMC stumbles again? -BMJ

The case of Manjula Arora, a GP in Manchester, who has been suspended for a month for supposed “dishonesty” about a laptop, was picked up by a few colleagues, and social media did its work of ensuring the pick-up rate increased exponentially. One always worries about the latest “MedTwitter” controversy. But this one has come on back of seething annoyance among many doctors about our regulator—the General Medical Council (GMC)—and its perceived bias, with cases such as those of Hadiza Bawa-Garba and Omer Karim still fresh in our memories.

Couple this with the recent Medical Workforce Race Equality Standard (MWRES) data confirming a clear association of increased referrals and convictions on the basis of racial background—or indeed country of origin as regards training—and this case lit the touch paper.

If one considers the publicly available details of the whole trial, you have to scratch your head and wonder how it got to this stage? Would this happen if the name of the individual was, for example, Michael Andrews?

The relevance of this case stood on two things—any harm to the patient population, which, to me, should be the primary aim of the GMC, and then dishonesty and disrepute brought upon the medical community.

This ruling makes it clear that there is no risk of harm to the public: “The Tribunal considered that no issues in relation to patient safety had been identified in this case. Dr Arora is a competent clinician, and there is no necessity to protect the public.” That should have ended the issue. But the complications started when interpretation about honesty came into the picture.

“The Tribunal attached significant weight to the fact that Dr Arora’s misconduct was a single incident in relation to the use of a single word, with no evidence of any other similar episodes of dishonesty before or after the event.” If you go into the details of the case, it becomes even more murky, as it’s the interpretation of a word—subjective at best— against the background of someone for whom English is not their first language. But it was deemed enough to warrant a month’s suspension according to the tribunal: “this period would send an appropriate message to the medical profession and to the wider public that Dr Arora’s misconduct, albeit relating to a single fleeting moment of dishonesty and not a planned deception.”

This raises a multitude of questions. Firstly, there is the principle that one fleeting moment of dishonesty could result in suspension. If that’s the standard, then the profession is indeed in trouble, with the GMC now making subjective judgements and being an arbiter of what is deemed to be honest or not. Where does the line get drawn? Discussions about patients or conversations about whether Santa exists or not?

Secondly, and more importantly, there is the suspicion of bias in how that law is being applied. Daniel Sokol has written a recent column which discusses the notion of doctors as the “saintly being”; the epitome of perfection at all times. Yet, within all of us exist the same prejudices and flaws as for the rest of the population. Sokol suggests that doctors have to be “scrupulously honest—in and out of work—unless the situation obviously allows for ethical dishonesty.” Yet he makes no mention of the fact that the GMC seems to apply that principle unevenly across the board. I accept that it can be difficult to see the “problem” others are complaining about, but I can assure you there are very few international medical graduates who have read about Arora’s case and not thought “I know why this has happened.”

There is professionalism, but there is humanity too, and I would propose that driving the narrative of doctors as “perfect” beings causes more harm to the doctor-patient relationship than not. What is honesty? Saying to patients that they need to wait for another 16 hours to get a bed, or holding the hand of the elderly frail lady, comforting her and saying “I am sure something will come up shortly”? It brings back the concept that being a doctor is a vocation. Constantly seeking to attain perfection is the very approach that leads to burn out, and more mistakes—causing patient harm.

Finally, if the role of the GMC is to protect the public from “single moments of untruth,” as this destroys the view among the public that doctors are saints (although I am pretty sure the public don’t see doctors like that in modern life), then there needs to be a discussion of that concept, of the overreach into personal lives, and of where the line is drawn as regards the GMC’s intrusion and inordinate application of that principle. I would suggest the role of the regulator should be for the rare circumstances when there is an interest in behaviour not being repeated or where it cannot be dealt with effectively by an employer.

I work with the GMC closely these days, and I find it immensely frustrating to see such cases as they undermine some significant hard work that is being done by individuals who are determined to change the narrative that the GMC is biased. I would encourage all concerned to look into this case, review it, learn from it, and offer support to Arora. There is a lot of work in hand to repair the damage from the Bawa Garba case, and this case could reinforce those sentiments, which we must avoid.

The intention may once have been for doctors to be Superman, but modern times and the foibles of individuals only permit a Batman. It’s worth remembering neither of them work to harm the public.

Advantages-Disadvantage of being a doctor

25 factors- why health care is expensive

REEL Heroes Vs Real Heroes

21 occupational risks to doctors and nurses

Covid paradox: salary cut for doctors other paid at home

Medical-Consumer protection Act- Pros and Cons

Expensive Medical College seat- Is it worth it?

May 29, 2022 1

Fish Bile ‘Treatment’ Lands Woman in Hospital- Folly of Fringe Theories in medicine

Fish bile ‘treatment’ lands woman in hospital A 52-year-old homemaker from Dum Dum had to undergo a few rounds of dialysis and was put under intense critical care for a renal failure, triggered by ‘fish bile poisoning’. The

It has become a common practice to advertise health products or therapies that claim to be panacea for all ailments enhance immunity, to increase power and health by creating an impression on minds on various platforms. Instead of producing scientific evidence, such products and therapies are sold under disguise of natural therapies or alternate medicines. Needless to say, the objective evidence or global neutral trial for the claimed efficacy or about real side effects is always missing.

Companies have created huge fortunes based on circulation of such pedagogic narratives and social knowledge. But in real sense, these are actually chemical and have biological actions and reactions. Chemical derived from natural sources can have side effects and contain impurities. Global neutral trials to validate effects and side effects remain an urgent need of the hour for all health products.

Suffering for the common public is immense. Doctors’ sincere warning had no effect rather they were called as medicine mafia. Unfortunately false beliefs like local religious figures can cure cancer and kidney diseases cause they could communicate with invisible spirits and gain knowledge. Unsurprisingly the cranks have been wrong and innocent patients suffer. Doctors objecting to elevation of crank theories were painted as western medicine agents, or nattering nabobs of negativity.

Here is an example of the folly of following fringe theories.

Fish bile ‘treatment’ lands woman in hospital

A 52-year-old homemaker from Dum Dum had to undergo a few rounds of dialysis and was put under intense critical care for a renal failure, triggered by ‘fish bile poisoning’. The patient had ingested raw fish bile for four consecutive days as a treatment to cure her diabetes prior to being rushed to Manipal Hospitals Kolkata with acute abdominal pain. Doctors at the Salt Lake hospital found the patient had low blood pressure and was in a state of shock. Initial reports showed a significant derangement of liver and kidney functions. It led doctors to treat common causes of liver and kidney injuries or drug induced organ damage. When further tests didn’t match with these diagnoses, the team started looking for a possible cause. The patient then revealed she had ingested bile of Rohu fish for four days to control her diabetes. “Consuming fish bile causes acute kidney and liver injury with the need to go for long term dialysis. This patient had to be put under dialysis within 72 hours of admission,” said internal medicine and critical care consultant. She was discharged from hospital after a month.

Advantages-Disadvantage of being a doctor

25 factors- why health care is expensive

REEL Heroes Vs Real Heroes

21 occupational risks to doctors and nurses

Covid paradox: salary cut for doctors other paid at home

Medical-Consumer protection Act- Pros and Cons

Expensive Medical College seat- Is it worth it?

May 24, 2022 0

CJI Ramana’s Concern about Violence against Doctors: too Mild a Remedy, Need Concrete Action

While violence against doctors should be a concern to everyone, more so for the public, but sadly everyone in society has preferred to take advantage and reap benefit of the situation at the cost of doctors. Government has remained more or less indifferent, whereas people don’t have minimum basic health amenities and doctors have become punching bags for inept health system. Law industry has been enormously benefited financially due to medico-legal cases against doctors. Media and celebrities have sold their shows and news items not by good ground work, but by sensationalizing and mischaracterizing the real basic issues, airing one single incident as generalizations. An atmosphere of mistrust has been generated against medical profession. Administrators and Industry have put themselves on higher pedestrian by selectively projecting the genuine failures and mistakes of doctors. Local goons have blackmailed doctors over genuine complications and the natural deaths occurring in hospitals. There is a little token action by police after routine incident of violence against doctors. Consequently medical business has thrived whereas medical profession is suffocated and art of medicine has been dying a slow gradual death. Actually public needs to be concerned as the society itself is going to suffer in the long run, not realizing that people themselves are responsible for their health problems and not the doctors.

At this stage, Chief Justice of India N V Ramana on Saturday expressed serious concern over rising violence against upright and hardworking doctors and lodging of false cases against them. The show of concern is nice gesture, as problem is clearly evident to all, but merely expressing a concern at this stage is too mild a remedy. When cancer is in late stages and needs a radical surgery, applying an ointment will not work.

Rising violence against doctors saddening, they deserve better: CJI Ramana

Chief Justice of India N V Ramana on Saturday expressed serious concern over rising violence against upright and hardworking doctors and lodging of false cases against them. The CJI said that he would also like to pay his tribute to the unending spirit of doctors, who work tirelessly round the clock for their patients. Doctors are mentors, guides, friends and counsellors. They should always remain active members of society, and solve problems faced by the people,” he said. The CJI said, “I am extremely saddened to witness rising violence against doctors. Several false cases are being lodged against upright and hardworking doctors. They need a better, and more secure, working environment. This is where professional medical associations assume great significance. They have to be proactive in highlighting the demands of doctors.” The CJI also expressed concern about the healthcare system in India and said that more than 70 per cent of the population resides in rural areas where people don’t have minimum basic amenities, forget about the comfort of corporate hospitals.

“Even Primary Health Centres (PHC) are also not properly equipped, if there is a PHC there are no doctors and if there is a doctor, there is no PHC. If both are there, there is no infrastructure. This is the situation in this country and in this scenario this type of affordable technique of detecting cancer through ultrasound at the preliminary stage is very helpful,” the CJI said.

Advantages-Disadvantage of being a doctor

25 factors- why health care is expensive

REEL Heroes Vs Real Heroes

21 occupational risks to doctors and nurses

Covid paradox: salary cut for doctors other paid at home

Medical-Consumer protection Act- Pros and Cons

Expensive Medical College seat- Is it worth it?

May 8, 2022 2

A comparison of imparting Justice Vs Health: Grave injustice to medical professionals

The work at hospital continues day and night, 24 hours and 365 days, despite almost always lesser number of doctors and required manpower. Systems in hospitals are designed and maintained meticulously to have no pendency what-so-ever situation is. Larger number of patients go back home treated well and very few unfortunate patients are unable to recover, but still whatever is required- is done invariably. Pendency in courts casts a 'pall of gloom' , presents a hopeless situation: AG NEW DELHI: India's top law officer K K Venugopal on Friday said litigants' fundamental right to speedy justice lay in tatters and implored country's top judges to take drastic measures to arrest their waning confidence in justice delivery system caused by monstrous pendency of 4.8 crores cases, many for decades. When we look at the pendency, a pall of gloom settles. We find that we are in a hopeless situation," Venugopal said, "How has the justice delivery system deteriorated to this extent? If you look at the pendency over the years, we realise that over a lakh of cases are pending for more than 30 years at trial court level and 10-15 years in HCs. How do you believe that so far as litigants are concerned they would have confidence in the justice delivery system?" "But against whom the poor litigant can complain, or an under trial who is incarcerated for a number of years which he would have undergone had he been convicted and punished? Do they file a case for enforcement of their fundamental right? But against whom?

Justice is needed for satisfaction of soul and peaceful mind, is of same importance what is to the health of body. Justice delayed gives a sense of hurt and pain to soul. Pendency in courts simply reflects the grave injustice people are living with.

Pendency in courts casts a ‘pall of gloom’, presents a hopeless situation: AG

Justice and Health- Both are crucial for happiness of the living beings as well as society as a whole. Hospitals are full of patients and so are courts with litigants. None of the people go to hospital and courts happily and everyone invariably wants early relief.

Compare the situation in courts with a hospital. Once a patient visits hospital, he will be treated almost instantaneously; irrespective how many patients’ doctors might have to examine in a day or night. There is almost nil pendency in hospitals, be it day or night, emergency or routine cases.

Now can we expect similar treatment at courts? Do the people visiting courts are imparted justice in real sense. Doctors get few minutes to decide. Most of the time, for the investigations and the treatment few visits are required. But there is no pendency. In Government hospitals, even appointments are not given. A doctor sitting in outdoor will see hundreds of patients. On emergencies night duties, doctor will not be able to count how many he/she has stabilized or numbers treated.

Even in such chaotic systems, doctor can be punished, dragged to courts or assaulted for unintentional mistakes, that are almost always secondary to load of patients or inept infrastructure.

The work at hospital continues day and night, 24 hours and 365 days, despite almost always lesser number of doctors and required manpower. Systems in hospitals are designed and maintained meticulously to have no pendency what-so-ever situation is. Larger number of patients go back home treated well and very few unfortunate patients are unable to recover, but still whatever is required- is done invariably.

Pendency in courts casts a ‘pall of gloom’ , presents a hopeless situation: AG

NEW DELHI: India’s top law officer K K Venugopal on Friday said litigants’ fundamental right to speedy justice lay in tatters and implored country’s top judges to take drastic measures to arrest their waning confidence in justice delivery system caused by monstrous pendency of 4.8 crores cases, many for decades. When we look at the pendency, a pall of gloom settles. We find that we are in a hopeless situation,” Venugopal said, “How has the justice delivery system deteriorated to this extent? If you look at the pendency over the years, we realise that over a lakh of cases are pending for more than 30 years at trial court level and 10-15 years in HCs. How do you believe that so far as litigants are concerned they would have confidence in the justice delivery system?” “But against whom the poor litigant can complain, or an under trial who is incarcerated for a number of years which he would have undergone had he been convicted and punished? Do they file a case for enforcement of their fundamental right? But against whom?

44 million pending court cases: How did we get here?

There are about 73,000 cases pending before the Supreme Court and about 44 million in all the courts of India, up 19% since last year.

According to a 2018 Niti Aayog strategy paper, at the then-prevailing rate of disposal of cases in our courts, it would take more than 324 years to clear the backlog.

Grave injustice for medical professions:

A doctor making wrong diagnosis (gets few minutes to decide) can be prosecuted, but courts giving wrong verdicts (get years to decide) are immune?

2. Compare the remuneration of lawyers to doctors. Doctors gets few hundreds to save a life (often with abuses) and lawyers can get paid in millions (happily).

3. Doctors treat the body and larger is still not fully known about mechanisms. Still doctors can be blamed for unanticipated events. Whereas law is a completely known and written subject.

4. If health is citizen’s right so should be a timely justice.

Despite doing so much for patients, still people’s behaviour to doctors and hospitals is not respectful. Doctors are punished for slight delays and people and courts remain intolerant to unintentional mistakes. But people can’t behave in the same manner to courts and legal system and keep on tolerating the blatant injustice for years.

Advantages-Disadvantage of being a doctor

25 factors- why health care is expensive

REEL Heroes Vs Real Heroes

21 occupational risks to doctors and nurses

Covid paradox: salary cut for doctors other paid at home

Medical-Consumer protection Act- Pros and Cons

Expensive Medical College seat- Is it worth it?

April 30, 2022 0

‘Doctor- Save Yourself’: Court Convicts Doctors For Operating Woman Without Ventilator

Merely having a ventilator does not solve the problem and is not enough . The hospital requires much more arrangements to keep a patient on ventilator. Do all Govt hospitals where surgeries are being done have ventilator and trained doctors and support staff to operate those ventilators? It needs round the clock trained doctors and nurses, ABG machine, portable X-ray , bed side Echo dialysis etc. Doctors in ill-equipped Govt centres are forced to conduct deliveries. What should be the SOP in such circumstances? A real and honest data would be an eye opener and interesting. Doctor need to ponder over the issue of saving themselves before they save the patient.

A Judicial Magistrate First Class court in Bidar district of Karnataka recently convicted three doctors for causing the death of a woman who was operated on by them without having a ventilator facility in the hospital and other lifesaving equipment. This was despite the fact that the committee constituted by the District Surgeon to verify the allegation of medical negligence in its final report has said there is no negligence on the part of the accused during the performance of the LAVH surgery and also shows *how the accused have tried to save the deceased.”*

What is worrying for the doctors is that every death during medical treatment can be a blame against the doctors. If the courts were to impose criminal liability on the hospital and doctors for everything that goes wrong, the doctors now should be more worried about their own safety than giving all the best treatment to their patients. Both Government and Private small hospitals carry out thousands of routine surgeries every day. Occasionally complications may arise in simplest looking procedures – for example even in normal deliveries; what to say about routine surgeries. How many hospitals (Government and private) in districts, town in peripheries are equipped with a ventilatory support system? Perhaps they are too less, although an honest count would be some interesting data. Still, surgeries of the type mentioned are conducted routinely in almost all of these small centres.

So based on one incident of this kind, the thousands of surgeries done in such areas are going to be affected. In other words, doctors will not dare to conduct surgeries in peripheries. As per the verdict of the court, many of the surgical speciality’s doctors in periphery are indulging in blameworthy activities every day in their routine work. Why should they risk their lives and profession in such circumstances? That raises another question , as many Government Hospitals are also without ventilators in the periphery. Should Govt doctors also refuse surgeries without an ICU setup? Any Surgery or even normal delivery in rare circumstances can get complicated and the patient may require ventilator. Usually anaesthetist use Ambu-bag for an emergency situation and transport the patient to other facility. So absence of a ventilator is not life threatening in a real sense. In peripheries, a large number of deliveries are conducted by ANMs, and nurses, and complications may arise occasionally. So what are the facilities expected and available at a sub-centre? In reality almost nothing is available. Merely having a ventilator does not solve the problem and is not enough . The hospital requires much more arrangements to keep a patient on ventilator. Do all Govt hospitals where surgeries are being done have ventilator and trained doctors and support staff to operate those ventilators? It needs round the clock trained doctors and nurses, ABG machine, portable X-ray , bed side Echo dialysis etc. Doctors in ill-equipped Govt centres are forced to conduct deliveries. What should be the SOP in such circumstances? A real and honest data would be an eye opener and interesting.

Doctor need to ponder over the issue of saving themselves before they save the patient.

Medical Negligence: Karnataka Court Convicts Three Doctors For Death Of Woman Operated Without Ventilator Facility & Other Life Saving Equipment* “A Judicial Magistrate First Class court in Bidar district of Karnataka recently convicted three doctors for causing the death of a woman who was operated on by them without having a ventilator facility in the hospital and other life saving equipment. BIDAR: Four people, including three doctors, have been handed jail terms and slapped with fines by a local court for a botched surgery which claimed the life of a woman.The II Civil (senior) and JMFC Court judge Abdul Khadar sentenced well-known medical practitioners Dr Rajshree Biradar and Dr Vaijinath Biradar, and Saibanna, to two years imprisonment and fined them Rs 10,000 each. If they fail to pay the fine, they will have to serve an additional six months in prison. Dr Rajshekar Patil was sentenced to six months imprisonment and fined Rs 5,000. He will have to serve additional imprisonment of one month if he fails to pay the fine.The case dates back to October 12, 2014, when Sampavati, wife of Ghaleppa Auradakar, got herself admitted to Sushrut Nursing Home in the city for a hysterectomy procedure. But after a five-hour surgery, she died due to alleged medical negligence.However, without disclosing her condition to the family, she was shifted to Dr Rajshekhar Patil’s Shree Hospital in an ambulance. Dr Patil continued the treatment without disclosing her condition, it was alleged in the chargesheet.

Nursing home was negligent in not having ventilator: Court

Later, it was revealed that Sampavati had died at Sushrut Nursing Home itself due to the lack of ventilator facility. The court, while convicting the accused, observed that the nursing home authorities were negligent in not having a ventilator facility for such a risky procedure.

Advantages-Disadvantage of being a doctor

25 factors- why health care is expensive

REEL Heroes Vs Real Heroes

21 occupational risks to doctors and nurses

Covid paradox: salary cut for doctors other paid at home

Medical-Consumer protection Act- Pros and Cons

Expensive Medical College seat- Is it worth it?

April 15, 2022 0

Typical Story of Blackmail by Goons &Vulture journalism #Dr-Archana-Sharma-Suicide

Painful story of Dr Archana Sharma Suicide unmasks the everyday struggle of the doctors in present era. Although not ideal but being undervalued, dis-empowered and demonized, forced to work as sub-servant to bureaucrats are considered new normal and is an accepted form of harassment. Fatigue and burnout are thought to be routine side effects of being a doctor or nurse. Venomous media, celebrities, film stars and prominent personalities have left no stone unturned in spreading hatred and creating an environment of mistrust against the medical profession. They project single stray incident as an example and portray poor image of medical profession as generalization just to earn money and fame for themselves. Doctors have become prone to the verbal, physical as well as legal assaults. Dr Archana Suicide unmasked an organised crime and propagators were local goons, politicians and vulture journalist, who usually managed an orchestrated racket to blackmail the doctors and extort money. Doctors being soft targets because of their nature of work as they deal with life and death. Any death gives them opportunity to all to blackmail the doctors on the pretext of negligence, a legal weapon used by law-enforcers.

Dead doctor’s husband demands action against ‘vultures’ and ‘blackmailers’

JAIPUR: The husband of gynaecologist Dr Archana Sharma, who committed suicide on Tuesday, lodged an FIR against one Shiv Shankar Ballya Joshi for exerting pressure on the doctor and organising protests in her hospital. Hours before his transfer, Dausa SP Anil Kumar said police have seen the CCTV footage wherein Joshi was belting out abusive slogans against the doctor in the hospital. Police said they were investigating Joshi’s role in the case. The entire incident began when a 22-year-old woman was brought to Sharma’s Anand Hospital on Sunday night with labour pain. Though she was taken to the labour room, her condition deteriorated allegedly due to excessive bleeding and she died on Monday. On the same day, Dausa police registered an FIR under Section 302 (Murder) of the IPC which names Dr Archana Sharma and her husband Dr Suneet Upadhyay. The FIR put Rajasthan police in a tight spot because several doctors alleged that cops could have filed the FIR under Section 304A (causing death by negligence) of the IPC, instead of slapping murder charges on doctors. 4/1/22, 3:20 PM Rajasthan: Dead doctor’s husband demands action against ‘vultures’ and ‘blackmailers’. Kumar, however, said the police only registered the FIR on the basis of the complaint filed by the patient’s family. In an emotional video message, Dr Upadhyay alleged that Joshi had promised the family a hefty compensation and brought them back with the body to the hospital. “Joshi called other BJP leaders to the hospital too. Joshi has been trying extortion and blackmailing in the hospital,” he said, adding that the police have been shielding Joshi due to a senior BJP leader of Dausa. Sharma’s husband Dr Suneet Upadhyay in his FIR said that some “vultures” played politics on the patient’s body as they gheraoed the hospital and forced the local administration to file a case of murder against the doctor. Upadhyay alleged that Joshi played a key role in this entire affair. He has been accused in the FIR of threatening the hospital multiple times in the past. As per the FIR, many complaints were filed against Joshi at the police station, but cops took no action against him, which further emboldened the accused. Upadhyay said Joshi was hurling invectives during the protest at the hospital and his wife could not tolerate such insults because she was a reputed surgeon who had saved the lives of several women and children. He said she was stalked by fears that Joshi could send her to jail even though she was innocent. The complaint also mentions that Sharma read a report of the incident in a local newspaper, but there was no mention of the hospital’s version there.

According to Upadhyay, the family members of the deceased patient had returned from the hospital with complete satisfaction because they had witnessed the doctors struggling for nearly two hours to save her life. He said the family of the deceased patient were preparing for her last rites when Joshi stepped in and brought the body back to the hospital. Joshi allegedly called up people over the phone and gathered a large crowd at the hospital. He wanted to file a case of murder against the doctor even though the family of the patient had not given any complaint. The FIR states that vultures like them have made the lives of doctors in the country very difficult and told cops to act against such blackmailers. Dausa police said they have booked Joshi under Section 306 (abetment of suicide), 304 (extortion) and 384 (extortion by threat of accusation of an offence punishable with death or imprisonment for life, etc) of the IPC. Police said Joshi is a local leader, whereas, they are probing the journalist’s involvement.

Advantages-Disadvantage of being a doctor

25 factors- why health care is expensive

REEL Heroes Vs Real Heroes

21 occupational risks to doctors and nurses

Covid paradox: salary cut for doctors other paid at home

Medical-Consumer protection Act- Pros and Cons

Expensive Medical College seat- Is it worth it?

April 1, 2022 1

The Book-‘At the Horizon of Life & Death’:Blackmail of Doctors by opportunist goons, legal industry, Vulture Journalism

While doctors are usually blamed for any mishap, be it natural poor prognosis or genuine complications, rarely people get to know their side of the story — how a dying patient affects their psyche, how they deal with these patients and their kith and kin, what are the kinds of abuse and threats made when they are not able to save a life despite their best efforts. Book describes stories the blackmail doctors face from opportunist goons, legal industry and vulture kind of journalism. Every day blackmail by legal industry, journalist and local goons, similar to what Dr Archana Sharma went through and others doctors are facing have been described.

Dr Pankaj Kumar, Director Critical Care at a Delhi Hospital, India has come out with an insightful account of these very aspects of a doctor’s life.

The 300-page book (English) contains 20 stories divided into three parts viz – Larva & Pupa Syndrome, Hope & Fear & Medical Lawsuits. The book is available worldwide on Kindle Amazon, Apple, Barnes & Noble, Tolino, Kobo, Scibd, BorrowBox, Baker & Taylor , Vivilo, Overdrive etc.

His book ‘At the Horizon of Life & Death’ is a Reality Fiction that reflects the sensitivity involved in dealing with patients facing death.

Through the eyes of its protagonist Dr Anand, the book captures significant moments in the treatment trajectory of critical patients. The book tries to create awareness regarding pertinent issues faced by the medical professionals like demoralisation, expensive medical education, the extreme pressure and suicidal ideation, the plight of the nurses and support staff, assaults and violence and the medico-legal intricacies involved in day-to-day practice among others. The author has also taken care to guide aspiring doctors to make well-informed career decisions.

Part One (Larva & Pupa Syndrome)- talks about the expensive medical education, and the issues students face in medical college.

Part Two (Hope & Fears) talks about the beginning of doctors’ professional journey, the disease demons they face while dealing with critical patients, dilemmas of doctors and patients near death situations.

Part Three (Medical Lawsuits) is about how doctors are always working under the threat of medico-legal lawsuits.

While stories are fictional, the scenarios and the problems in them are very real — things that he faced or saw his colleagues facing.

Medical profession has become victim of mistrust generation and blame culture. Everyone keeps harping about the few black sheep in the community, while larger good work of doctors is not highlighted enough.

The stories span from Dr Anand’s initial days in the emergency room and capture his struggles in complex medico-legal scenarios over the next four decades. This book is an effort to bring back focus on the treatment of the patient as opposed to the mistrust, legal frameworks and policies surrounding the healthcare practice.

Suicide by Dr Archana Sharma has exposed the blackmail; medical professionals are going through in current era. Doctors have become sitting ducks for punishments complaints, blackmail, and legal complexities besides every day harassment. Negligent police, indifference of Government and venomous media has made it impossible for health care workers to work in a peaceful environment. It may not be a good idea to opt for a medical career any more.

More naïve would be to pay millions to be a doctor.

Advantages-Disadvantage of being a doctor

25 factors- why health care is expensive

REEL Heroes Vs Real Heroes

21 occupational risks to doctors and nurses

Covid paradox: salary cut for doctors other paid at home

Medical-Consumer protection Act- Pros and Cons

Expensive Medical College seat- Is it worth it?

March 31, 2022 0

Any Fine Morning can be Harbinger of Doomsday for doctors #lady-doctor-suicide

Working of a doctor and nurses is not free from risk to themselves which can be verbal, physical as well as legal assaults. Everyday globally, the doctors and the nurses greet the new day and return to their work of taking care of their patients, knowing well the risk involved. None of the doctors can guess which one fine morning becomes a harbinger to their doomsday, especially when serving an anarchic and hostile society. No doctor can anticipate which one patient can cause deadly harm to health care workers, while trying to save the one. Unfortunate incident of PPH (Post-partum Bleeding – a natural complication of pregnancy) and subsequent agitation by mob and over-reactive FIR by hostile Police was enough for a brilliant Obstetrician to commit suicide in Jaipur. Possibly doctors are not assured of getting justice anymore from our system.

Jaipur- A woman doctor booked for death of a pregnant woman in Rajasthan committed suicide

Jaipur- A woman doctor booked for death of a pregnant woman in Rajasthan committed suicide

Jaipur, Mar 29 (PTI) A woman doctor, who was booked for allegedly causing the death of a pregnant woman at a private facility in Rajasthan’s Dausa district, committed suicide on Tuesday, police said. Jaipur, Mar 29 (PTI) A woman doctor, who was booked for allegedly causing the death of a pregnant woman at a private facility in Rajasthan’s Dausa district, committed suicide on Tuesday, police said. Jaipur, Mar 29 (PTI) A woman doctor, who was booked for allegedly causing the death of a pregnant woman at a private facility in Rajasthan’s Dausa district, committed suicide on Tuesday, police said. According to police, the pregnant woman died at the hospital run by Dr Archana Sharma and her husband on Tuesday. An FIR was registered against Archana at the Lalsot Police Station after family members of the pregnant woman held a demonstration outside the hospital and demanded immediate action against the erring doctor. Stressed over the FIR, Archana hanged herself to death, police said. “The doctor was booked for the death of the pregnant woman due to negligence in treatment. Today afternoon, the doctor hanged herself to death at her residence above the hospital,” Additional SP (Dausa) Lal Chand Kayal said.

The risk is generally underestimated, although often it may be major risk to life. Majority of people, society and governing bodies and even doctors themselves do not perceive or acknowledge the possible harms to health care workers in present era. But since these risks are increasing exponentially, they should be known to students, who want to take medicine as a profession. There are lesser set procedures, lack of awareness, not protective equipment or hostile society, lack of governance and laws and doctors continue to work in dangerous environment.

Doctors have become punching bags for all the malaise prevalent in the system. A failing system which is unable to provide health to the people and security to doctors. The rickety system hides behind their hard working doctors and presents them as punching bags. The impunity with which attendant easily and brutally assault doctors is really appalling, should be shameful to law enforcing agencies.

Role of media, celebrities, film stars and prominent personalities in spreading the hatred against the medical profession and creating an environment of mistrust is unpardonable. They project single stray incident as an example and portray poor image of medical profession as generalization just to earn money and fame for themselves. Doctors need to be careful and remain careful about saving themselves from verbal, physical as well as legal assaults.

Doctor- ‘save the patient but to save themselves also’.

Advantages-Disadvantage of being a doctor

25 factors- why health care is expensive

REEL Heroes Vs Real Heroes

21 occupational risks to doctors and nurses

Covid paradox: salary cut for doctors other paid at home

Medical-Consumer protection Act- Pros and Cons

Expensive Medical College seat- Is it worth it?