Knights in white coats fail to clear trust test

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When a doctor at city’s prestigious AIIMS hospital allegedly sodomised an 8-year-old recently, it raised concerns not only about the conduct of doctors, but also about our safety even at premier health centres. For most of us, who blindly trust our doctors, the faith is shaken as many question if there’s any place that is really safe. It has been reported that the doctor charged with the crime has been allegedly asked to leave the coveted hospital.
Reportedly, parents of the patient, who was under treatment for brain tumour, were harassed not only by the doctor’s shameful act, but also cops who initially allegedly refused to register the case. This forces one to think, where are we safe? Can we trust care givers whom we look up to in trying times?
Neha, a media professional empathises with the boy and shares, “I went for a regular checkup once and the doctor there was trying to get too close. It felt like he was purposely trying to grope me. I felt quite unsafe. I didn’t know how to react, as he is a reputed doctor. But I now regret not raising my voice.”
For Poonam Chaudhary, a railway employee, it’s the trust we have in our doctors that makes them take advantage of us. “I was shocked to read the news. I didn’t know how to react. I have two sons and I wonder if we’re safe anywhere. My maid once complained about her doctor trying to caress her while she was getting an ultrasound done. I thought it was only a misunderstanding, but later some patients complained of similar instances. It’s really disturbing. I think doctors should not be trusted blindly,” she says.
More disturbing is the fact that the cops in many such cases just don’t help. If reports are to be believed, quite shockingly, cops were not even aware about the issue when they were approached for help by the the victim’s parents. Lohit Kumar, a DU student avers, “In many households across India, these cases get buried. Such instances are not addressed just because we know the cops will do nothing, but only harass us more.”
Experts assert that it’s time parents talk about such issues to help their kids deal with similar situations better. Dr Geetanjali Kumar, psychologist says, “Parents have to come out of the denial mode where they think that it cannot happen to their child. First girls were being attacked, now even the boys are feeling unsafe. For instance, now that this topic is in the news, parents can inform their kids a little about such unpleasant cases. It’s best to teach your kid how to identify this kind of behaviour so that he knows how to deal with it.”
(Few names changed on request)