The murder of T. Sethulakshmi, anaesthetist from Tuticorin, by the husband of a patient — who was brought to her in a serious condition but died before she could be rushed to a private hospital — was gruesome. He had other alternatives like booking the doctor for ‘negligence' and complaining against the hospital.
Doctors should take professional indemnity coverage from insurance companies. Retaliating with strikes does not speak well of their profession.
K.G. Shankar,
Mumbai
I share the medical community's anguish and anger over the ghastly murder of one of its members. At the same time, doctors should ponder about the root cause of Mahesh's reckless behaviour. The doctor-patient relationship in India is ruled by a paternalistic culture that blinds medical professionals to the right of patients to know and ask questions about the disease, its diagnosis, treatment, alternatives, side effects, etc. This creates mistrust in the minds of patients and their relatives.
In the West, where medical suits for negligence are common, doctors who share details with their patients have seldom been targeted for litigation because even if things go wrong, the relatives have no reason to doubt the doctor's conduct. Patients' trust cannot be taken for granted.
V.N. Mukundarajan,
Thiruvananthapuram
That Dr. Sethulakshmi had to die in tragic circumstances for no fault of hers is unfortunate. Doctors' anger is understandable and they are justified in demanding protection while on duty. But the noble and self-sacrificing medical profession does not allow doctors to strike work and deny medical care to thousands of patients. They should have gone on a symbolic protest to urge the government to act.
A. Michael Dhanaraj,
Coimbatore
