I am posting this from Amrit’s blog:
Just read a very sad account at Mridula’s IIT-K blog and I think the issue needs to be highlighted because such a rot is present everywhere in our society these days.
The canteen owner of one of the IIT halls came across a migrant laborer’s boy who had been stung or bitten by a scorpion or a snake. The canteen owner did everything he could have possibly done, but unfortunately he couldn’t save the boy. The reason: first the security guards at IIT didn’t offer any help, and when he took the boy to IIT’s health center, first the hospital refused to treat the boy because he didn’t have a health card (and they refused to accept the canteen owner’s health card) and when the canteen owner called the doctor who works at the center, she simply refused to come because the patient was a laborer’s child. In fact she screamed at the canteen owner for disturbing her. You can read the entire account on Mridula’s blog.
Since life in general has no value in our country, such incidents can only be avoided by severely punishing those who could have saved the kid but didn’t. The licence of the doctor should be revoked, she should be sacked, and then she should be arrested for causing death due to negligence. She is unnecessarily wasting a post that could have had a compassionate doctor. When you are lousy, your attitude shows everywhere — tomorrow she can easily cause death of a student or a faculty member. After all, every doctor takes the Hippocratic Oath before obtaining a degree and if he or she violates that oath, he or she doesn’t deserve that degree.
The guards should be sacked too because if they don’t have the feelings to protect a young boy, how can you expect them to protect the institute when the need arises?
Does this sound harsh? I don’t think so. The death of the laborer’s son is harsh, a death that could have so easily been avoided.
Sad and frustrating. In a period of jargons, the basic tenets of humanity have been forgotten.
Its time that training in general ‘first-aid’ measures is imparted systematically in all educational institutions. This could have bought some more time.
Hi,Alka…to be very honest,this is one of the reasons I keep postponing any plans to return to our country for good..I mean,the progress which is made,gets wiped out by the string of corruption found everywhere….and,then,incidents like this remind you that when human life itself has not got any value, how can we hope for peaceful life?What you say is very correct-they should punish such people-it makes me think the oath some of these doctors take is the ‘hypocrite’ ic oath.What do you say?
Paradox, it seems to me that you don’t blog. And your suggestion about ‘first-aid’ measures is very sound and practical. I think TV channels can broadcast these aids repeatedly if schools are unable to teach.
AmitL I can understand your feeling. Life is the cheapest thing in this country. And its scary.
I think the people are at fault too here. This is one of those times when we should take the law in our hands and take a slap on the wrist once the crisis is over..What were these people doing?
I read the account on your sis’ and nanopolitan blog. I stayed there for four years and unluckily got admitted in Health Center for 4 day at the very fag end of my course.
Forget that labourer’s unfortunate son, they use to inflict similar “treatment” to the students there too. Hospital, if you may call it one, totally lacks facilites, and doctors there hopelessly incompetent. And very very rude at that.
My two seniors died in the same premises (in different situations) because of lack of facilities and their obstinate refusal to refer to city hospital in time.
For every fever they will Calpol, and those who can’t convince docs to not admit them – the only treatment they get is Saline.
And less I talk about the authorities – select profs those who are part of the gymkhana – the better including the director Dhande. They are most snooty lot with king size ego.
Dhande is such a fraud that it is(rather was) a IIT rule that none of the profs can ever become the director of that particular insitute. Dhande not only became the director, he is running his second term. Behold!
Manish, that’s very sad state of affairs. There should be some framework to bring these doctors to book.
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