Sorry, Vandana .

Despite being an average student, a resolute dream to become a doctor drove me to follow in the footsteps of my accomplished uncles, cousins, and elder brother. With an unwavering commitment to my goal, I dedicated six hours each day to daily chores, including sleeping, and spent a staggering 18 hours per day for several weeks to prepare for the entrance exam.
Throughout my MBBS journey, I faced over 150 exam days, each one inducing countless sleepless nights and immense stress.
Over these years, I missed many family occasions, parties, and celebrations, including the weddings of my own classmates, lost many good old friends, was an ardent moviegoer who missed many good movies, etc , all in pursuit of my lifelong aspiration to become a doctor.

I have written this to make one understand that no doctor is born in a day. It’s a rare molding over many years, spilling many good things from their lives, including a good night’s sleep to ream out knowledge, experience, sympathy, skills, empathy, courtesy, dedication, and some of the rare qualities you won’t see superficially in any doctor, but all of them do!

Many people think it’s for the lucrative salary. I have yet to see a wealthy doctor earn a living from his profession, except for those who were born with silver spoons or those who turned this into a business!

The first few months of residency itself showed me the bitter reality behind the white coat. One after the other, I have been directly or indirectly involved in three weeklong media-tarnished incidents in the next few years.
Every time, I have deeply thought about quitting this profession. But it was pure passion that led me to continue in this noble profession.

This morning, when my wife read out the news that one house surgeon had been stabbed to death at work, it was shocking. The whole day, I was following different media to digest what had happened. Before noon, still at work, Babitha called me again to inform me that Vandana was the only daughter of her parents, and her voice fluttered.
Being a father of two, it was more than I could comprehend. I slipped myself into her parents shoes for a few moments and felt that deep pain to a great extent, which I can’t put into words.

I don’t blame the man who did it! Either his mental illness, his mental status under the influence of any substance(s), if any, or the social system made him like that!

She is stabbed to death by a faulty system. It’s the failure of our system. The utter failure of an administration at large to protect the life of a person. The media, which has pulsed poison against doctors in low doses over the years, has played an immense role.

The legislative member who made illegitimate comments provoking the common man can also be sure that you too have stains from the blood splattered.

Vandana Molle,

I bow my head to tell you I am sorry.

It is our fault that we couldn’t save you from getting injured or from the injuries you sustained.

But believe me, you saved yourself from the hardships of being a doctor in our land.

I hope you will turn the tables on the present nasty system. If you can’t change, then it is going to be a hard time for the common man!

We will cleanse your mortal remains with the tears of our fraternity and bury you in our hearts with fond memories and the utmost grief.🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

One life leaves a body, taking the warmth—the warmth that could caress the bodies of many lives!

Dr. Shibu Thankappan. Doctor.co.in