The Retired Doctor

 

After the last blog post on Dhirubhai Ambani, https://agnipathdoctors.blogspot.com/2022/03/the-dhirubhai-ambanis-accountant.html

many of my friends complained that I was being unfair in expecting others to work like Dhirubhai. There is some truth in their words that everyone cannot work like Dhirubhai Ambani and achieve his greatness. But each of us in our own way can put in some extra effort if want ourselves and our country to rise in the world. Let me share with you the true story of one of my senior colleagues.

When Dr. Dev (fictional name)  shifted from New Delhi and joined a small hospital in the town, the surgeons working there had their outpatient clinic in the morning and operate on the patients in the afternoon. The anesthetist, Dr. Jay (fictional name) used to come at 1 - 1.30 PM to the hospital and stay till 5 to 6.00 PM depending on the number of cases. Since Dr. Dev was new to the town, he did not know much about Dr. Jay, the anesthetist.

After some time, Dr. Dev learned that Dr. Jay was initially in a government job working in the district hospital. From there he had taken voluntary retirement and started working as an anesthetist in the private sector.

Dr. Dev was impressed that Dr. Jay was getting a decent monthly pension and full medical treatment and reimbursement coverage, but instead of sitting in his home watching television and reading newspaper and magazines (smartphones with social media was not present then), he was working and supplementing his monthly fixed pension.

Once Dr. Dev wanted to operate on a case early in the morning. He asked the anesthetist, Dr. Jay, if he can come early the next day to give anesthesia to the patient. Dr. Jay looked at him with amazement. ‘Dr. Dev,’ he said, ‘it appears you don’t know that I go daily to the Famous Eye Hospital. I work there from 7.00 AM in the morning to 1.00 PM. You will have to call another anesthetist if you want to operate in the morning time.’

Dr. Dev was amazed. Here is a person who has retired from his job, getting a decent monthly pension, yet he is reporting daily to work at 7.00 AM in the morning and after a hurried lunch again working in the afternoon. How many of you will work from 7.00 AM in the morning to 5.00 PM in the evening when you are having an assured monthly income?

Story Finished? Not so.

Once an emergency case came to the hospital that had to be operated on at around 6.00 PM. The operation was expected to last two to three hours. Dr. Dev requested Dr. Jay to stay and give anesthesia to the patient. 

Dr. Jay agreed and called someone on the phone, ‘Inform madam that I will be late due to an emergency case and start the clinic without me.’ Dr. Dev, who overheard the conservation was curious, what was this about. He bluntly asked Dr. Jay which clinic he was talking about.

Dr. Jay replied, ‘Dr. Dev, I was talking with my nursing assistant. I and my wife run a small clinic in the evening in the Old City area. But don’t worry, my wife, who is also a doctor will handle the patients and I will join her after the case is over.’

Sometime later Dr. Dev met an acquaintance who was living in the area where Dr. Jay and his wife were running their clinic. He asked about Dr. Jay and his clinic. The acquaintance was impressed Dr. Dev knew Dr. Jay. He informed Dr. Dev that Dr. Jay and his wife were very popular among the patients in their area. His wife was in fact had more clientele and was the leading practitioner in the area. Due to the huge number of patients, their clinic sometimes runs as late as 10 PM at night.

Dr. Dev was awestruck. Dr. Jay was working from 7.00 AM in the morning till 10 PM in the night, after retirement, at an advanced age, when he was having an assured monthly pension and his wife was having a very successful clinical practice.

So next time before crying and complaining about your earnings, rising inflation and cost of living, the economy, and GDP ask yourself, are you honestly working as hard as Dr. Jay, ‘the retired doctor’.

— ND

(Based on allegedly true incident.)

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DISCLAIMER: This article is intended only for fun purposes. The author does not promote or recommend any behavior illustrated here or claim it to be useful. Use the information herein is at your one's own risk. Before trying to emulate or follow anything the reader is well advised to take into account ethical, moral, legal, and other considerations. The author recommends that Medical Practice should be of the highest ethical and moral level keeping in mind the interest of the patient as foremost. 

DISCLAIMER: This article is intended only for fun purposes. The author does not promote or recommend any behavior illustrated here or claim it to be useful. Use the information herein is at your one's own risk. Before trying to emulate or follow anything the reader is well advised to take into account ethical, moral, legal, and other considerations. The author recommends that Medical Education should be of the highest ethical and moral level keeping in mind the interest of the patient as foremost and according to NMC and other Board norms.