Doctors, lawyers and bureaucracy

"A pinch of arrogance and a whole lot of ego and...umm...yes... a mic, a mic! Of course we would need good sound quality. Every word needs to be articulate for the video clip. A sweet symphony to the public's eardrum which will strengthen our vote bank. After all, we are running low on TikTok content."

"Next, we would need a target. A soft, squishy and tender target. One which would snap in one go and not make a sound. Who better than a weak and juicy doctor? Our TikTok account is going to explode."

"But...sir jee… What about the doctor's community?"

"What about them? Chhotay, they are half dead. A petty lot which just cares about personal gains and seats. Every other doctor would be relieved it wasn't him in the video in front of my 17 grade bureaucratic wrath! Just wait and watch, I am going to produce a 2-minute masterpiece which will play to the sentiments of the already distressed public and the ensuing applause will be my feast! My thirst for attention and approval will be quenched at last!"

The talk of the town is a video which surfaced from THQ (Tehsil Head Quarter) Burewala in Punjab where a public office holder was seen belittling and needlessly flexing his biceps in front of a helpless female on-duty doctor who had no idea that this day her mental health would be jolted for the general public to comment on and judge.

This is one of the many episodes of the piñata treatment which doctors have received and continue to receive. Every now and then we land on such video clips. What begins with public humiliation of the cream of our nation ends at suspension or even worse, termination. The public cheers for the miked-up bureaucrat who feeds on and keeps his ego and office alive. Doctors are beaten left and right like a piñata while the public servant enjoys the candy.

Mobile phones are the next big challenge for our healthcare system. Policymakers have put their heads together to solve this mega health crisis: How to stop doctors from using phones? How caring that they don't want to expose doctors to the cancer causing radiofrequency electromagnetic radiations these devices give off. Deadlier than the coronavirus pandemic, mobile phones need to be stopped before they take over our hospitals. Are they implying that doctors leave critical patients mid-treatment or mid-surgery and take their phones out to enjoy some random instagram reel? Does this make sense that as we speak cameras are being installed in hospitals across Punjab to stop doctors from taking mobile phones out of their pockets? The developed world has revolutionised healthcare by incorporating technology while the biggest threat to our society is a doctor holding a cell phone.

The uses of a mobile phone for doctors in hospitals are to: 1) double-check dosage of hundreds of medicines; 2) calculate (multiply) dosage according to patient weight; 3) communicate with seniors and juniors for optimal treatment planning and execution; 4) share x-ray films, CT scan films, MRI films, ultrasound reports and lab results with colleagues to discuss patient management; 5) call hospital administration for multiple reasons such as pushing them to arrange an extra bed in the ICU for patient's sake; 6) receive a phone call while you are in the ER from a nurse who is in the ward on the second floor of the other building telling you to rush to the ward as a patient has suddenly collapsed; 7) call security when attendants are abusing and attacking on duty doctors - and the list goes on. The world uses phones for convenience but we want our doctors to run from one building to another just to communicate with a colleague.

This power-show in health facilities by unauthorised personnel should be put to an end and the respect and dignity of the white coat be upheld. There is much more to health reforms than making videos for social media, bullying and harassing doctors and playing to the audience back home. The gap between the public and medical fraternity needs to be bridged for which the government and media should play an active role.

I will leave the reader with one question: can these TikTok officers storm into court premises, yell, interrogate and belittle lawyers and judges the same way they do in hospitals? The answer has two letters.