being a person who has a number of friends and a close family member who have worked in hospitals such as KEM, Tilak, Bhabha etc., i am actually amazed that such talented people, such achievers are treated so shabbily in their initial days. if there was ever a definition of ragging then it applies to what these guys go thru during their formative years and at the hands of their own brethren (the seniors) who sit in committees with the BMC and state govt. the machinery works but it overloaded, just like the mumbai trains. one cannot blame the driver if the bus has a maximum capacity. perhaps that lousy life also propels many of them to go full steam in accumulating wealth at a later date. they are so starved and many of their peers in other disciplines have done so well that the doctors invariably fall prey. i have had many a bad experience in private hospitals and quite a few good ones in govt hospitals.
No doubt that there are many other government employees like Dr Ram who are striving day and night to make India a better place to live in. Our hats are off to them. Can you please post a picture of Dr Ram ?
I fully agree with you,this is a preconceived notion of blaming government doctors. In fact the senior doctors in government hospitals get to attend the most complex cases (In volumes)due to which the experience gained is immense and they also know most effective and economical solutions.
they are also equipped to handle pressure situations better
Most of the time the treatment that you get will be the correct one without the flashiness associated of private hospitals. The fact remains that treatment at private hospitals also is of a good quality. Most people are put of by government hospitals because the interiors will be colourless and no different from of any other government building(the types which people have unpleasant memories). Also the crowd of fellow patients, the long ques, non availability of a few medicines, rough behaviour at various times of the support staff(remember that they are permanent government servants with no obligation to work as also that they may be overworked). So the chance of having a unpleasant experience is very high which has no relation to the quality of treatment dished out. But as humans mostly tend to delve on the negative aspects, the impression of the overall experience is carried over to the quality of treatment(which often is unfair). The nurse may not smile at you and wish you a very good evening but she sure will do her alloted work deligently(on most occasions). Unfortunately even at private hospitals one may be taken for a ride at times and on most times one would'nt know.
I appreciate your article for two main reason. Not only do you give the long over due respect to public hospitals in India. You also bring out the fundamental disease that is capturing our today's society...the development opinion of a person's character and skill based on his/her appearance. Your article highlights the need of the hour to stop and rethink out judgmental nature and the basis for the same.
I join you to salute Dr.Ram and his junior duty doctor. Being a veterinarian in government service I want to dispel some of the misconceptions regarding the functioning of government hospitals. 1.There are many doctors who serve selflessly in government hospitals. 2.The main hitch in this system is lack of motivation of good and honest doctors,inadequate infrastructure, procedural and administrative difficulties including lot of written work, difficulty in extracting work and deciplining the suboridinates. 3.Lack of trust and patronage by the rich and affordable people has made this system " made for the poor and underprivilged". 4. I salute all those good hearts who would try to reform our health care system. I emphasis that it is not money alone which is need for this, but a good working plan with little money. Thank you.
Its worth admiring that rediffmail is putting on stories and true life instances on net so that people can really understand whats happening and how people are there around. "I salute Dr Ram" was a touching story..helped to change my perspective towards govt officials. We often get blind by stereotyping. However the govt.officials are but we forget that they are some real angels on earth to help needy people.
The rains in Mumbai posed a challenge on BMC, though ever abused, it should not be forgotten that to make the city run in just 2-3 days where people dont have any civic sense is not an easy task and BMC should be awarded who in such heavy rains forgot their family to help their family. Its time for we Mumbaiites to be real 'westernised' rather than be 'modernised' for our society. Change starts from within and then taken further....Good Luck and above again I thank Dr RAm who selflessly served at an acute time
