Children from affluent, educated families are nowadays shunning from taking up professions like nurses and doctors. These professions, which at work naturally help others, are high in moral hierarchy. And the society and people are always benefitted by these altruistic professions but sadly these professions are no longer cherished and respected nor well paid. Although we are discussing here professions like that of a doctor and nurse which are involved with life and death, but other altruistic professions are also not much treasured. These include other noble professions like that of  soldier, teacher, scientist, fire-fighter etc. This emphasises a peculiar thought process of society wherein  only professions which earn handsome money are more respected. If we analyse and  compare different professions , we’ll realise that people in these noble professions are paid far less amount of money.   What does one pay to a doctor for saving one’s life  ( few hundred rupees/dollars)  or to a soldier, who is ready to  sacrifice his life for safety of fellow countrymen. Obviously the fact that these professionals are not much respected generally , neither well paid makes them less coveted by people as  career option. This highlights the misplaced priority and hypocrisy of society in present era.

Here we are discussing about the real hands that help. I am discussing about the doctor and nurses, who are awake at odd times, give a hand, really treats and saves life in real time(not as a investor in health). I am talking about a soldier in combat situation who really is fighting in a life and death situation.

A doctor  saves life and relieves pain while doing duty. Even a junior doctor while doing  duties deals with emergencies and saves uncountable people or relieves their pain. whatever  he is paid, it is no match to the amount and quality of work that he does. There are lot of problems and risk involved to doctors which I have already discussed before in “ doctor is a soldier” and “ doctor a wonderful global community”.

A nurse while doing duty, comforts the patient and  helps in all the work doctor does. It is really a skilled and hard  job. The sole purpose of their job is to benefit the patient and alleviate his suffering. There are only a few civilized societies in the world, where nurses get their due respect. But it is painful to see the how these comfort providers are taken as guaranteed and treated shabbily most of the time. Few lucky ones get decent placements but most are forced to do an underpaid thankless job.

These professions  make a living out of their noble work but money paid to them is not commensurate to the work, responsibility, accountability, risk involved to the provider and benefit they provide to other person and society. The money a doctor receives in lieu of saving a life is less than what people spend on a single good meal in restaurant. Reason for that is these altruistic professions are not monetized in a way other professions are. But strangely these professionals do not get rightful respect also and less treasured.

It will be interesting to note how many of our prominent leaders, actors and stars, elite and affluent society people, judges encourage their children to  become actual doctors and nurses . But they are ever proactive in sloganeering and blaming doctors for all malaise.