Who is to blame?

Who is to blame?

It’s time for me to take a very important decision in my life. This moment has been beckoning me for the past four and a half years and finally it has made its call.

When I decided that I wanted to go for Medicine as a career I had never really thought about the complexities I’d be faced with least to say, I had never even thought of being in one of the best colleges in the country. When I cleared the AFMC exam, I had four choices; either choosing AFMC, or joining Manipal, BHU or Bangalore Medical College. My dad advised me that I should choose the best I was getting and that was AFMC. I was worried then about the problems of signing a bond to serve the Indian Armed Forces. My dad again told me to worry about these things later and study first. I took the advice.

Almost as soon as I chose AFMC, I and my dad were pounded with questions like – “Why did you send him there”? “You own a hospital, you should not have sent him there don’t you think”? My dad gave the best answer to all these questions – “10 years earlier there was no hospital and 10 years later there is no guarantee that it will still be there”. Period.

Since the very first year and till about couple of months back I have been having all night debates about the pros and cons of joining the Army or leaving it, almost every time reaching to no conclusion at all. Finally, I realized what’s most important is what one wants in life. And that has made me to come to the conclusion that I want to break the bond.

I have a goal. And my Community Medicine text book made me realize it. India is a country where eighty percent of resources are directed towards twenty percent of the population. Especially so, health care. When I was reading my text books I always came across the shattering fact that India is the major playground for almost all diseases! This had my brain thinking. I always used to blame the government like lot of other people. I used to think that the government and its corruption based politics are responsible for the sorry state of affairs. Reading this text book and seeing what’s going on in the real world made me change my opinion.

After all, who is responsible? Who is to blame? In a country of over a billion with nearly a lakh students sitting for medical entrance examinations and a similar if not less number sitting for engineering examinations, the country still has a dearth of doctors and engineers in addition to the dearth of quality health care and technology. A lot has been said about the “brain drain” but then what is being done about it? If you are reading this and you are a student, then you are to blame. I will give you an example. All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS) is the best medical institute in the country. Students crave to be a product of AIIMS. After getting in there, one’s career is almost set. AIIMS is an international brand and there is no doubt about it. The students there get the best facilities and infrastructure at absolutely minimal expenditure. Hell, it is even cheaper than AFMC which is supposed to provide everything for free! Yet, despite of having such a bright side there is an even darker side to this story. The students in AIIMS utilize it every bit only to run away to USA and other countries for a better future. This is the trend in most private colleges where students and their families can afford the cost of USMLE or studying abroad and its allied costs. Even in my college, most of the people who break the bond finally run off to the States.

They are traitors. I use this extreme word because they deserve it. You blame the government for poor infrastructure, bad roads, bad health care etc yet you are the ones responsible for it! Indian scientists are making technology outside which is imported by India at a much higher price! Many of the Primary Health Centres in the country are still devoid of qualified doctors. The young doctors skip their share of rural service only to prepare for Post Graduate entrance exams or for better comfort. There are strikes, associations to rally against things like these which are only for the betterment of the country. It is a fact that the progress of India is paralyzed by this bleeding of valuable resources.

I had an argument with a batch mate of mine who is paying out of the bond to go for USMLE. He said – “Tu kya kar lega”? Is desh ka kuch nahi ho sakta. Yahaan koi future nahi hai”. I was furious. I told him that if educated people like him talk garbage like this then truly is desh ka kuch nahi ho sakta. He was blaming the government as usual, I asked him one simple question – “Who elects it”? He was speechless.

If the youth and educated people of this country cannot work towards its betterment then who will? I believe that everyone, no matter whether one is a doctor or engineer or whatever should be an active hand in the shaping of this country’s future. Otherwise it will be left to the mercy of the developed nations.

I am breaking the bond for this. Of course I can serve the country by joining the Army. But my reasons for leaving it are entirely personal. The Officers in our college literally despise those who pay out. Yes they should despise those who run away only to earn better future for themselves in foreign countries but not those who are serving India in no matter how small a way. They should look at AIIMS and the IITs where no restriction what so ever is imposed on this slow leak of talented minds. I personally feel that there should be a compulsory bond in these colleges too.

I said I have a goal. I don’t want to be a famous, rich doctor. No, I don’t need that. I want to go out and help people. I want to take the services I can offer to people who need it more than everyone else. That is my dream. I don’t know yet whether I’ll fulfill it as I want but I won’t be a traitor selling my skills to my own country as an outsider.

Lastly, a word of caution to all those who think otherwise. You are outsiders for the countries you go to. In the deepest corners of their hearts they abhor you as you are stealing what belongs to the people of their country. One day when they don’t need you anymore where will you turn to?

Here I only want to mention the lines I remember from a song from the movie Swades-

“Mitti ki hai jo khushboo, tu kaise bhulayega,

Tu chahe kahin jaye, tu laut ke aayega.

Nayi nayi raahon mein, dabi dabi aahon mein,

Khoye khoye dil se tere koi ye kahega,

Ye jo des hai tera, swades hai tera,

Tujhe hai pukara.

Ye who bandhan hai jo kabhi toot nahi sakta!”