Deadly strike

The strike by young doctors at Ayub Medical College in Abbottabad has directly or indirectly taken away 40 lives in a matter of four days. Neither the protesting doctors nor the hospital administration batted an eyelid over the deaths, stubborn in their resolve. The K-P government was equally callous. Once again, the system has failed us. A deeper analysis helps to understand why the young doctors are striking, fervent and early on in their careers, but it is difficult to fathom or rationalise the deaths of so many patients. This is clearly an issue of human resources and one that patients have nothing to do with, yet they paid the ultimate price. Protesters demand removal of the board of governors, who the doctors maintain were appointed illegally. Doctors also demand their promised benefits. While we support the fight for one’s rights and honest dues, there is an obvious ethics question involved in allowing patients to suffer and die, which deserves the most immediate attention and resolution.

The board of governors at this hospital would serve humanity well by having some empathy for the people dying on their hospital beds. It is perturbing to note that both parties, comprised physicians who take the Hippocratic Oath to provide help when they see a person in need, have neglected the most basic of their duties – a pillar of the medical profession. The young doctors are making a point and it is coming at the cost of patient lives every day. The board needs to act swiftly. If appointments were made by bending the rules, what good are any of the rules we are to abide by in this country? When one entity is allowed to transgress laws, it is unjust to hold a few others accountable. The systems and governments in this country are too nascent, perhaps, to delve into discussions on ethics. However, this has become a life and death situation for many families.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 29^th, 2017.

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