This is a true story. While I was waiting  at the signal for it to turn green I noticed a fire engine overtaking me. It barged through the red signal to attend to the fire call. The hose pipe at the back of the vehicle was leaking water and oil. The fire vehicle spelt out some water and oil while it went ahead briskly. On my right side was a middle aged man on his bike waiting to take a right turn. As the signal turned green, the biker started moving and his bike skid on the freshly spilt water. The other bike behind him could not control itself and ran over the man’s hand. The man sustained severe  injuries.

He was a law abiding middle aged man wearing a helmet. Not even speeding, he was just waiting for the signal to turn green. For no mistake of his own, he sustained multiple  fractures. Many good Samaritans helped the injured man.

Following questions came to my mind:

  • Is it a sheer accident? Does the story end where  the victim  curses his bad luck and get himself treated at his own cost?
  • Is it an error of the fire personnel? Should he not have waited for green signal and follow the traffic rules. Probably It is justifiable that he hurriedly wanted to rush to  the site of fire and douse it. It  is a human error. Is it  “justifiable to be erroneous”?
  • If the fire engine fellows would have taken “due care” of closing the valve properly the problem could have been easily averted. And the precaution expected was a simple one. So is it the negligence of the personnel manning the fire engine? Should he be made accountable for this act improperly executed?
  • Is the action of the fire personnel “rash and negligent” that led to “grievous hurt” to the victim? Should he be arrested and put behind bars?

The victim suffered a fracture, needed hospital admission and surgery, and had to spend a lot of money from his pocket. He was off the job for two months. He had to go through a lot of suffering. Is it human right violation?

Friends, I find a lot of similarity between the above mentioned story and medical accidents. A health care provider who wants to actually help the patient actually lands up messing it up unintentionally and unknowingly.

Till now patients accepted these as accidents and cursed their own fate. Some  took the doctors to courts for compensation. Then we witnessed increasing trend of  filling criminal cases. I consider this to be the most  dangerous trend in the doctor patient relationship.

Now is it right that we start calling these Human rights violations? Is it fair on the part of  National human rights commission to hear these petitions ?

Waiting for your comments…