What happened to medical ethics?

I solemnly pledge to consecrate my life to the service of humanity; I will practice my profession with conscience and dignity; the health of my patient will be my first consideration.
 (Declaration of Geneva [amended 2006)
Wow, trip to Europe with family and five star accommodation! Did you win a lottery by any chance?” I asked my friend, albeit a bit jealously, who had recently returned from her foreign vacations and posted her pictures on the facebook.“Are you bonkers? Practitioners don’t need to win lotteries. Our profession is our ticket to everything.” Noticing the perplexed look on my face, she continued airily, “Dumbo, the whole trip was financed and funded by a pharmaceutical company.”Her reply echoed these sublime lines in my mind, of course with melancholia:
“You swore the Hippocratic Oath!
In dishonour you are deeply steeped 
You stole from mates for tarnished gold
Do you know you have lost your soul?”
Phew Rubina! Welcome to the world of new age medical (un) ethics and distorted moralities.
What has allowed this immoral penetration into the most revered profession which till late was held together as a sacred calling for centuries? Have we as doctors, considered to be demi-gods and messiah, dumped the Hippocrates oath beneath heaps of lust and greed? Is it no longer sanctum sanctorum? Attempts to answer these questions prove agonizing as they seem too close to reality for comfort.The rot has already set in and the unholy nexus between doctors and pharmaceutical companies runs deep, having snowballed cancerously. What we are witnessing is perhaps the greatest scam to ever hit us- modern medicine and corrupt doctor practices. The philanthropy which had once been part of this profession has been replaced by chicanery, bribery, deception and lust for making quick and easy bucks.A disgraceful business between doctors and pharmaceutical companies runs like this: On sale of 5000 samples of drugs, get an air conditioner or blackberry set. On sale of 10,000 samples, get a motor bike and on prescribing high-priced outlandish drug, the doctor can even get rewarded with a brand new car. The list is long and endless and the maxim simple- Quid pro Quo. Exotic vacations get financed at the blood of the poor patient.  Dodgy doctors medicate patients up to their eyeballs and prescribe drugs which they don’t need and at prices they even need less.
Unfortunately and unforgivably, the sacred precincts of this hallowed profession have hollowed out and emptied out of its sanctity.  What was previously tantamount to sacrilege is considered smart entrepreneurship by these callous practitioners. We have eroded the very essence of medical services and done an irreparable loss to the once called noblest profession.  How can these who doctors accept the bribes, look in the mirror afterward and face even their own self?  This dark descent into barbarism, a product of unscrupulous doctors satiating their greed at the expense of hapless patients, should not be allowed to happen: The lessons of history sagaciously reveal wherever a society has degraded to such an extent, the results have been as perverse as they have been disastrous. I guess nothing short of a divine intervention can change this murky situation we are in today. We are at the mercy of these tainted practices and till our law enforcing agencies wake up, I can but advice you one thing: Please don’t dare to get sick.

The Trash Culture

Sometimes kids freak you out. It came as a rude shock when my 6-year-old rolled down the car window to throw the just devoured chocolate wrapper out. Spotting my horrified look, she quickly said, “Don’t worry Mamma, everyone does this, even the teachers in our school!”Did I have an answer? No I didn’t. Teachers are supposed to be always right. 
 Late at night when I was pondering about it, I remembered the 19th century French traveler, Victor Jacquemont, who wrote about Kashmir being an ugly picture in a magnificent frame. Was he right? The sense of paradise being bestowed upon the wrong people prevailed inside me. Is the erstwhile paradise burgeoning into a rubbish heap? As long as our lawns are pretty, ‘I give a damn’ attitude being commonplace with us - aren’t we using an out-of-sight out-of-mind policy? Are we, as individuals and community, making every effort to turn this place into an eye-sore? These questions tormented me. Once a picturesque place, known for its crystal-clear waters, lofty mountains and lush forests, Kashmir seems to be turning into a big garbage dump and unfortunately we have no one to blame but ourselves. 
 “But, of course it is the duty of the city Municipal Corporation to collect garbage and keeping the streets clean,” said one of my highly-educated doctor friends during a tete-a-tete. As a society known for shifting responsibility and playing blame-games, it was no wonder when she started hurling abuses at the present Government, especially the Chief Minister for all the garbage mess in our beautiful ‘Jannat’ (paradise; her words, not mine). It was same as saying that the pencil was responsible for my bad test scores!
Circumventing responsibility and blaming others for individual failings is tempting. But that temptation carries a serious price, especially when such comments dismantle us of our individual responsibilities. We leap at the opportunity to castigate Government for the failings of individuals or groups which offers a sense of release and exculpation. But those of us, who embrace the notions of character and accountability, would say that a person himself (or herself) is responsible for his (her) actions. If an individual or community tends to make our heaven an environmental wreck, then I would point to defects in our character and hold us for these actions. Having said that, I am not exonerating the Government for its lackadaisical attitude, but the onus, I believe, lies on the individual first.
So when will the tipping point come for greater personal responsibility in our society’s engagement with environmental abuse? Certainly, not by mere talking and writing on the subject. We have to find a remedy. Environmental civilization, not short of enlightenment, is becoming increasingly important in our lives. As our cities become more congested and busy, acquainting ourselves with the impact and influence each of us have on our surroundings, becomes more and more compelling. Equally important, however, is the perspicacity of how we can contribute to protecting the environment around us and bequeath something of value to future generations.We cannot be extenuated for our unkempt places and make light of the situation we are in today. Our standards of hygiene and cleanliness need to change. Even if the governmental authorities do not promulgate restrictions, there is no need to establish a poor environmental milieu. I do not believe that punishments should be delivered to everyone; instead individuals perpetrating the offense should be brought to book. It’s high time our society learns to take responsibility for the trash culture.Litter is everyone’s problem and there is never an excuse!(Author is Assistant Professor, Deptt of Microbiology, SKIMS Medical College, Bemina Srinagar. She can be reached at rubynask@gmail.com)