Doctors face tyranny of litigation

With reference to ‘SC relief for doctors’; this judgment will go a long way in relieving doctors of the immense stress they face. The failure of a surgical procedure and its consequences in the form of violence or litigation put pressure on the operating surgeon. Medical science is not an exact science and variable outcomes are possible. We should look for a different mechanism to take care of medical negligence cases such as the ‘No Fault Compensation System’ (as in New Zealand), wherein a medical accident commission awards compensation from its corpus funds as an interim relief to victims of alleged medical negligence; it then enquires into the complaint, and if the doctor is found guilty, suitable action is taken against him or her. The medical fraternity must be saved from this tyranny of litigation.

Rajender Sharma, by mail

Unethical practices

Refer to ‘SC relief for doctors’; the medical fraternity wants legal protection, even though it remains busy indulging in unethical practices such as insisting on prolonging artificial life support systems just to inflate hospital bills. Such practices have transformed this once noble profession into a profitable business. In fact, it has been a speedy transformation into an ugly trade in which patients are asked to go to clinical labs for ‘tests’ that most of them can seldom afford. Doctors must shun this attitude if they desire respect and regard from patients, which they have gradually lost.

Ramesh Gupta, Narwana

Safety of doctors a must

With reference to ‘SC relief for doctors’; the ruling has come as a great relief for the medical fraternity and would go a long way in ensuring the safety and security of doctors. They need a conducive and congenial environment to perform their onerous duties with dedication and to the best of their capabilities. Despite the fact that some doctors do indulge in malpractices, everyone can’t be blamed. Doctors work under tremendous stress and they need to be provided good working conditions to enable them to discharge their duties without fear. At times, despite their best efforts, doctors are unable to save patients. Proving a doctor’s negligence/ culpability is a very hard task.

Ravi Sharma, Dhariwal

Caste factor in Census

Apropos of ‘Census 2025’; a comprehensive caste census becomes imperative to ameliorate the plight of those who are the most deprived because the bulk of the reservation benefits continue to be grabbed by the creamy layer. To achieve this goal in earnest, it is crucial that the upcoming Census exercise should meticulously cover caste issues afflicting minority communities such as Muslims, Christians and Sikhs.

Lalit Bharadwaj, Panchkula

Respect people’s choice

Refer to ‘The two-child norm conundrum’; the proposal of the Andhra Pradesh CM to incentivise couples with more than two children is misguided. While it may address concerns about low population growth in the state, it ignores broader national issues such as overpopulation, poverty and unemployment. Instead of imposing family size policies, politicians should respect people’s choices. The government should focus on essential services and infrastructure, including quality roads, hospitals, educational institutions and access to affordable electricity and clean water. Supporting women in making informed family choices and balancing personal and professional lives are crucial. The goal should be to enhance the quality of life and enable people to prosper.

K Kumar, Panchkula

Deepening Indo-German ties

Apropos of ‘Indo-German ties stronger, but more is needed’; the recently concluded 7th IGC emphasised technology, innovation, labour, talent, migration, mobility, climate action and extending cooperation in economic, defence and strategic sectors. India was among the first countries to recognise the Federal Republic of Germany; Indo-German relations have remained strategic. The bilateral relationship will become deeper and more meaningful as Germany recognises and appreciates the ideas that India brings to the negotiating table.

Vaibhav Goyal, Chandigarh

Letters to the Editor, typed in double space, should not exceed the 200-word limit.

These should be cogently written and can be sent by e-mail to: Letters@tribunemail.com