What happens when brilliant brains start working in the wrong direction
From Dr Ajgaonkar's narration, we have seen how the unimaginable becomes possible, when conscience stops working, and brilliant brains start working in the wrong direction. This is no surprise. A doctor had alerted us to this danger over a century ago.
The creator of the world- famous Sherlock Holmes, and himself a physician, stated:
When a doctor does go wrong he is the first of criminals. He has the nerve and he has the knowledge. —Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, The Speckled Band
This is unfortunately true. Actually, a doctor's knowledge may be able to save a person's life; it can alleviate a patient's pain. It can ensure that a newborn baby's first cry goes out into the world after a safe delivery. But one essential requirement of a doctor's profession is that the doctor should remain equanimous when treating patients. He has to be careful not to get emotionally involved with any patient; in other words, the doctor must display a calm professionalism. But unfortunately such 'clinical detachment' is sometimes channelized in the service of gross and unscrupulous profiteering.
'clinical detachment' is sometimes channelized in the service of gross and unscrupulous profiteering. Some courageous doctors have become whistle-blowers to expose malpractices that occur while patients are admitted in hospitals. What is the truth about all these malpractices? They are appealing to all of us: 'See, these are the unacceptable malpractices that are taking place behind closed doors; we are witnessing them, but we alone are unable to change this situation. Now society urgently needs to do something about this.' Patients need expert medical care at every stage of treatment: making a diagnosis, suggesting various alternative courses of treatment, conducting the treatment through investigations and procedures that the
patient prefers and can afford, and informing and counselling the patient properly about the risks that may arise during the course of the treatment. There is always an element of asymmetry in the relationship between doctor and patient. It springs from two sources. There is an information asymmetry and there is a power asymmetry. The asymmetry can be minimized through more awareness in patients but can never be bridged completely. However powerful or rich a person may be, as a patient he or she is always vulnerable. That is the reason why the Hippocratic Oath is given to only the medical profession. The doctor is given a responsibility to also think on behalf of the patient. Unfortunately today we have a situation where this human right is in jeopardy, and we increasingly have to purchase health services like any other commodity. Even in this situation we should have rights as consumers. For instance, appropriate fees should be charged for medical services, and the patient should feel confident that the costs and quality of service are appropriate. But to what extent does this actually happen? To what extent does the private medical sector acknowledge our rights?
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