Unethical practices: a patient’s experience

THIS is apropos of Haroon Akhtar's letter 'Doctors' strikes are against ethics' (March 25). I agree with the writer that doctors' strikes are nothing except a breach of professional and moral ethics. I also believe that it is giving birth to some other social ills. Those affected by these strikes are poor people who always have to face the music for others' faults. They cannot pay for the expensive private hospitals. Doctors should not forget before going on a strike that they are creating miseries for the ordinary people because of whom they get experience in public hospitals which helps them to move to private hospitals on lucrative packages. I would like to narrate my personal experience here. I recently visited a government hospital during the doctors' strike. When I approached one of the departments of the hospital to get 'parchi' so that I could consult the doctor, I was told that no 'parchis' were being issued as the doctors were on strike. Meanwhile, I saw some patients waiting outside the doctor's room. When I asked about these patients, the man on the reception desk whispered into my ears: "You too can get 'parchi' if you arrange for some 'chae pani'." I was shell-shocked. Whenever some patients from the disadvantaged section of society asked him to issue 'parchi', the receptionist would scold him/her, asking him/her to leave the room. However, whenever he saw a person with a better appearance,  he would make the same offer which he made to me. The persons who were able to understand what he was demanding would quietly place a 100-rupee note in his hand. I think doctors are not only creating physical hardships, but their unethical practices are also causing many social and moral diseases which are more harmful. I request the doctors to adopt some other ways to register their protest rather resort to strikes and other unscrupulous practices which are nothing but a black spot on this noble profession. M. JAWAD HAIDER SHAH Lahore