The orthopedics department of Guru Nanak Dev Hospital is currently in the news. It has been revealed that the doctors’ influence is spreading rapidly among patients seeking treatment. Inside reports indicate that patients are forced to purchase hip replacements and plates from outside at exorbitant prices. Furthermore, these doctors have good connections with outside medical stores and receive hefty commissions in return. Speculation is rife that the principal is aware of all this, yet remains silent. The truth is, his silence is due to his equal share of the money.
In this context, the orthopedics department of Guru Nanak Dev Hospital is becoming a thug’s shop for looting the public and patients. Government hospitals, in theory, cost a pittance for treatment, but when this plunder reaches its peak, the public’s trust in them is completely shattered. While the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government claims to provide superior treatment and all kinds of facilities at government hospitals, observing the functioning of the Guru Nanak Dev Hospital’s staff suggests that the government itself has failed in the face of this helpless system. In such a situation, winning the public’s trust is crucial, as the 2027 Assembly elections are looming. If the issue concerns the public, cleaning up the mess becomes essential for the AAP government, as only by doing so can they win public trust.
Rumors abound that the head of the department is a master of private practice. Consequently, he is defrauding the government and the department. The lack of even the slightest fear indicates that many people are involved in his scheme and are equally cooperating with him. It has come to light that the department is also engaging in shady dealings with certain medicines, which are being sold in connivance with drug dealers. This clearly demonstrates that these individuals are slapping the system squarely in the face, while the silent system is barely audible.
Anecdotally, a well-known story is that four decades ago, doctors were considered gods in the eyes of patients. Their love and work ethic would heal a sick patient as soon as they saw them. When the tide of dishonesty intensified, they chose to distance themselves from the system, and even today, the stories of their honesty resonate. The times call for urgent change in the system, but this can only be achieved when the government and the department begin to perform their duties with complete honesty.
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF.VINAY KOCHHAR (SNE NEWS) ### USA###UK###CANADA###