Is murder accused Indrani Mukerjea’s life more important than a doctor’s? Apparently so!

Is a doctor’s life less precious than that of a murder accused? Are doctors really studying and working so hard all these years just to become guinea pigs? Why should a doctor taste a patient’s food to check for poisoning?

These were just some of the questions that rose in the uproar following Mumbai Mirror’s report on Wednesday which spoke of junior doctors at JJ Hospital having to taste the food before it was being given to Sheena Bora murder accused Indrani Mukerjea. Doctors across social media expressed shock on the incident but it was finally a senior doctor who decided to approach the

Formal complaint being raised
While some doctors took to social media to express their shock and disgust at the incident, a senior doctor finally decided to approach the Maharashtra Human Rights Commission. General Surgeon -Dr. Lalit Kapoor, who also serves as Director of Association of Medical Consultants (AMC) said it was “extremely humiliating for the entire medical fraternity.”

Dr. Kapoor is in the process of drafting a complaint to the Human Rights Comission and strongly stated that doctors at JJ Hospital were being made guinea pigs and what took place was extremely disturbing. He also mentioned that a few years back there was a heated debate in the medical fraternity when resident doctors had to sample food given to APJ Abdul Kalam during his Mumbai visit. While the debate died down a few days later, but in this case it is a murder accused.

The Dean of JJ Hospital, Dr TP Lahane expressed helplessness,”We have to ensure the safety of those coming in to the hospital. We have no other choice. I agree that it is not a doctor’s job to sample food. In other cities, food inspectors are appointed to do this job. I have discussed this with government authorities earlier as well,”

While there are rampant speculations that Mukerjea may have overdosed on drugs, JJ Hospital has overnight been turned into a fortress. However, that is no reason to make doctors taste her food. Aren’t the doctors lives just as precious as Mukarjea’s? Doctors are condemning this action, calling it – shameful and insultin gfor the entire fraternity. Some doctors have openly expressed on social media, saying – “Murder accused became more important than the life of a doctor,” while another said “Ridiculous! Maybe should ask health minister or health secretary to test that first… we doctors are far less imp than them.”

Not a First
Scarily this is not the first time such an action is taking place! IMA’s state president Dr Jayesh Lele confirmed this about JJ Hospital in saying, “This hospital gets prisoners, and doctors are often involved in VIP visits,” Dr. Lele strongly stated that a doctor’s job is to help treat the patient.If there are suspicions about the food quality that should be taken up with the kitchen at the hospital. In a revealing and shocking comment on social media, a doctor said that this has been happening for a long time. “This is done especially for visiting dignitaries when an official food taster from JJ Hospital is deployed. The poor RMO had to stay hungry for hours, ‘taste’ the VIP’s food and then leave,” a doctor told Mirror.

Whatever the outcome of the Mukharjea trial may be, the focus must remain on DOCTORS. Today they are being asked to taste suspect poisonous food, yesterday they were being beat up for asking a patient to stand in line, denied basic stipend and rights! How much longer will India continue to ill-treat its doctors and take them for granted. They are not lab rats and certainly not ‘taste testers’ to ensure the food is good enough for a murder accused !

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Original Post: Mumbai Mirror

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