April 2022 Issue

Respected Members,

Thank you very much for showing great unity and implementing guidelines given by IMA Head Quarters following a very painful incidence of suicide; by our member Dr Archana Sharma from Rajasthan.

Due to our efforts and constant pressure by IMA Rajasthan State branch and IMA headquarters; all culprits are either suspended or demoted and arrested except one who absconded.

This incidence has taught us many things

To summarise the lessons learnt…..

1. Never ever fear the judicial process. If there are unhappy moments during any part of treatment process, try that the matter goes in legal process rather than any kind of settlement.

2. Never hesitate to reach out to your colleagues for help, take advices from those who are more experienced than you in dealing with mattters.

3. Negligence can be both civil and criminal. Police has a tendency to get even into civil matters over false pretexts just to get kickbacks. Don’t hesitate to look them back in the eye and stay firm on your grounds. Legal help is best given by lawyers, grab it and fight back.

4. You can encounter police, politician, judiciary with your unity, knowledge, brotherhood, timely action, documentation and professional behaviour. So stop fretting and get prepared.

5. Any iota of famed doctor -patient relationship is long dead. The sooner we realise this the better it is. Now only a transactional relationship exists. Charge your fees, stay professional, keep documentations in place.

6. Take indemnity insurance, clinic hospital insurance, employ proper security at hospital, good CCTV cameras all around, make an audio visual counselling and health bulletin room. Spend some money from your earnings for contingencies like these. Count them under cost of doing business.

7. Avoid medical jostling and stop criticising your fellow doctors. Rise above feudal mindset. Even though you are a superspecialist give equal respect to others. There is no such thing as a plain MBBS doctor. A doctor is a doctor ; qualified enough to treat and manage patients.

8. Patient is not loyal to any doctor. Gone are the days when patients thronged to one doctor for all his issues. Now the relationship is transactional. So in any case of even minor dispute, take your fellow Doctor’s side and not patient’s side.
Even your relatives will not think twice before taking a second opinion just to get the comfort they want.

9. Give time to family and make strong value based inherent culture so that you have the emotional and psychological strength to face adversities like these.

10. Last but not the least, actively participate in local doctors association and work to make it strong and potent.

Long live IMA !!

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