Life over money: An Oncologist's recent struggle

Something I wrote about a news I came across the internet..

Doctors have this solemn oath before they become fully-pledged doctors - it's an oath to put life above everything else. Being a doctor is hard work - imagine the pressure of telling a person that he just has a few weeks to live, or tell a wife that her husband might not wake up anymore. Lives are placed in human hands, humans that are also prone to error, but strive to be as excellent as they could be, for the sake of the people who depend on them.

 

Dr. Vinod C. Patwardhan got convicted of bringing FDA unapproved drugs into the country and selling them to his patients. This is a given fact, but the story behind it was never known to a lot of people. He resorted to this - he risked his career as a doctor and his reputation as a person - all for the love of his patients.

 

It wasn't a secret that the economy is declining, and more and more people find it hard even to sustain their meals. When their health is on the line, there was very little they could do about. What more for such a grave disease as cancer? Most of them would've given up on life itself, if not for dear Dr. Pat.

 

Dr. Vinod c. Patwardhan, or Dr. Pat, has been an oncologist for over 25 years, and his patients and their families are nothing but thankful and gracious towards him. He has extended lives, maintained and controlled illnesses from spreading, and gave hope to his patients and their families. He provided medical and emotional support to all his patients, and they loved him for it.

Then came a time when he had to make a choice. Most of his patients couldn't afford the medication anymore, and he needed to act quickly. If he was to wait for FDA to approve the drugs, nothing would happen to his patients. As a doctor, he needed to act for the sake of his patients. Lives were on his hands, and families expecting their family members to get better. He did what he thought was best. He acted under his oath.

 

Was he guilty of “smuggling drugs”? Probably. As the law looks at it, anything not approved by the FDA cannot be trusted. But from another angle, what drove Dr. Vinod C. Patwardhan, to the point of being convicted, was in his mind, he was doing what he swore he would do. And it is to put the lives of his patients first, above anything and everything else. He knew the consequences of his actions, yet he still chose to do it. He believed in a higher purpose �" in his calling. He was a doctor, sworn to save lives. And that was exactly what he did, nothing more, nothing less.

 

 

Reviews

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Thanks for sharing. (Just my opinion, why not delete the last line. It seems to be overstating an already well made point).
And again, thanks for writing and sharing this with us.