By Muhammad Mohsin Iqbal
Medicine has long been regarded as a messianic vocation, a sacred covenant between the healer and the afflicted, wherein the physician serves not merely as a practitioner of science but as an instrument of divine mercy. The restoration of health, in this noble understanding, is not solely the outcome of pharmacological intervention or surgical dexterity, but a manifestation of the will of Allah, bestowed through those endowed with knowledge, compassion, and fortitude. Across civilizations, the medical profession has commanded reverence, for it demands both intellectual rigor and moral excellence, a rare confluence that elevates its adherents to a station of profound trust.
In Pakistan, this trust was once embodied with distinction. Doctors trained in our institutions earned acclaim not only for their clinical acumen but also for their refined ethical sensibilities. Their education extended beyond anatomy and therapeutics into the delicate art of human engagement, where empathy, patience and decorum were cultivated alongside diagnostic skill. The physician’s presence itself was often therapeutic; a gentle word, a reassuring glance, or a measured tone could alleviate a patient’s anxiety even before any prescription was written. The Hippocratic ethos was not a mere abstraction but a lived reality, shaping the doctor–patient relationship into one of mutual respect and confidence.
Yet, with the passage of time, a disquieting transformation appears to have taken root. Instead of progressing along the path of excellence, certain segments within the profession seem to be receding into a state of ethical erosion. The demeanor once synonymous with civility and compassion is, in some quarters, being supplanted by indifference, impatience and, at times, outright hostility. Reports from various public hospitals paint a troubling picture, where young doctors, entrusted with the sanctity of human life, exhibit conduct that is at variance with the very essence of medical professionalism. Instances of altercations within hospital premises, reminiscent more of street brawls than of scholarly discourse, have become alarmingly frequent. More distressing still is the apparent disregard for senior counsel, as advice offered by experienced practitioners is met with defiance rather than deference.
The erosion of this professional decorum has grave implications, for the edifice of medicine rests upon an intangible yet indispensable foundation: trust. The patient, often in a state of vulnerability, entrusts their most intimate concerns to the physician, believing in the sanctity of confidentiality and the sincerity of care. This fiduciary relationship, once robust, now shows signs of fragility. When compassion is replaced by callousness, and when ethical restraint gives way to recklessness, the patient’s faith is inevitably shaken.
A recent incident in a prominent hospital in Lahore has brought this crisis into stark relief. Within the confines of an operating theatre in a gynaecology ward—an environment that ought to epitomize precision, dignity and solemn responsibility—a spectacle unfolded that defies both medical ethics and human decency. Two cases of childbirth reportedly became the subject of a grotesque competition among attending doctors, with the proceedings recorded on a mobile device and subsequently disseminated. The gravity of this act cannot be overstated. In that moment, the operating theatre, meant to safeguard the lives of mother and child, was reduced to a stage for trivial amusement. The presence of male staff further compounded the violation of privacy and propriety, stripping the situation of any semblance of professional decorum.
Equally troubling are reports of coercive practices in clinical decision-making, particularly in obstetrics, where families are pressured into consenting to surgical interventions under the specter of imminent danger. The suggestion that a case is “not normal” and requires immediate operative management, often delivered in an atmosphere of urgency, leaves relatives with little choice but to acquiesce. While caesarean sections are, in many instances, medically indicated, their unnecessary proliferation raises concerns about both ethical integrity and patient welfare. Surgical intervention carries its own risks, including infection, thromboembolic events and long-term reproductive complications. In many advanced healthcare systems, a conservative approach is adopted, allowing natural processes to proceed to the fullest extent before resorting to operative measures.
If such trends persist, the consequences will extend beyond individual cases to erode public confidence in the healthcare system as a whole. The question then arises with poignant urgency: who will entrust their loved ones to institutions where dignity and safety are no longer assured? The sanctity of the medical profession must be restored, not merely through punitive measures but through a comprehensive reorientation towards its original principles—compassion, integrity and accountability. The physician must once again become a custodian of hope, a figure whose presence reassures rather than intimidates, and whose conduct reflects the highest ideals of humanity. Only then can the noble legacy of this sacred profession be preserved, and the trust that has been so gravely shaken be painstakingly rebuilt.
(The writer is a parliamentary expert with decades of experience in legislative research and media affairs, leading policy support initiatives for lawmakers on complex national and international issues, and can be reached at editorial@metro-Morning.com)
