Archive for April 2017
Eman’s Doctors: Paying the price of their own greed
We have been seeing a story unfold last few days about Eman Ahmed and her sister Shaimaa Selim. For those who might not know, Eman is the patient who was flown in from Egypt for treatment of obesity. Dr. Muffazal Lakadwala and his Centre for Obesity and Digestive Surgery made it known to the media and the whole world that they would be treating the patient free of cost and spending crores in the process. And headlines they got. The heaviest person on Earth and an Indian surgeon to the rescue.
Things have degenerated all too quickly with the Eman’s accusing the doctors of negligence. All hell has broken loose. In major news papers, all I am seeing is character assassination of ‘ungrateful Egyptian sisters’. How the God’s own avatar, Dr. Lakadwala and his team did all the free service and now they are being blamed. And I am amazed how Indian media is not even ready to show Shaimaa’s side.
First of all it was all done not for philanthropy but as a PR stunt. For philanthropy we have enough problems in India to spend money and resources on. But the headlines ‘world’s heaviest woman’ can give to a hospital and a doctor, nothing else can. As about ‘free service’, I consider it advertisement budget, nothing else. It was an investment to get paying patients from all across the world at Dr. Lakadwala’s footsteps.
Coming to the character assassination of Eman’s sister. She is being touted as an ungrateful snob. Why ungrateful? Why now say that it was all free service? Why not treat her as another paying patient? Were the similar reservations made by a paying patient, would we have seen similar character assassination? Such PR stunts have their own downsides and one such downside we are seeing now. Seems the medical team was all too ready to shower in the glory of success and reap millions that follow, but are coming out as sore losers. Like rug has been snapped from under them.
I am not saying that its all Doctors fault, family could be at fault too. But the way character assassination is being done; it’s pathetic and portrays a dull picture of our hospitality. What happened to all ‘Atithi Devo Bhava’? These are two sisters in a foreign land. Shaimaa is worried about her sister Eman. Given the condition Eman is in, I know a lot many of my fellow citizens who would have abandoned their own sisters long back. Don’t we know what a lot many of us do to their parents in old age? But Shaimaa has stood alongside her sister, fighting for her.
She was promised a miracle by the publicity hungry doctors and now she is worried about deteriorating health of her poor sister. If she is blaming negligence, instead of investigating the claim just like it would have been done for any paying patient, whole medical team is busy character assassinating the sisters. Rich, isn’t it. Sad part is media is playing the ball too.
All I can say is Govt. should frame some rules to regulate such publicity stunts which put whole nation’s image at stake.
In Modi Era: What can opposition parties do?
I was not born to witness the Nehru/Indira era when Congress got votes regardless of the performance. For good or for bad, I can’t say, but am seeing something similar with Modi. He is single handedly winning elections from Panchayat to Parliament. Opposition stands decimated. Barring a couple of states (that too don’t seem far off now), Modi wave has engulfed the entire country. Where does this leave the opposition parties?
At this moment, the national and to a large extent regional parties too are in disarray. I highly doubt that even a Bihar like alliance would even be able to save them. In my opinion, opposition should acknowledge that it’s Modi era and whatever they say/do; no one is ready to listen. You might recall Sharukh’s era from 1995-2010, when only Shahrukh’s movies were a hit and rest all came distant second. We are in a similar situation now.
If BJP wins MCD elections in Delhi, which I am highly confident they will, then opposition has no standing in electoral politics at least till 2024. If Modi can salvage BJP from the corrupt MCD rule of last 10 years then nothing can stop BJP from winning anywhere else. People trust him, simple.
Opposition parties should go back to their basics and work out a long term plan. They should take a leaf out of Nitish Kumar’s book and create a development image for themselves. They need something as radical as Sharab-bandi to fight Modi. It will be an image war. Freebies won’t do the trick now. They have to make their intent clear.
Opposition should stop electoral ambitions for next 5-7 years. Only then it can redeem itself. Trying to appease certain segments with freebies (as against sustainable development) won’t help in Modi era. He has combined majority politics with development plank and there is no stopping.
Go back to grass root. Get involved in social service, which was your primary aim.
Raise the issues of common man. And hope that Modi falters. I am afraid there is nothing more you can do.
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