Tragic stories of deaths due to doctors’ negligence have been repeated umpteen times in the country. But not a single case has been taken to a logical conclusion. Just the other day, a 35-year old pregnant woman died at Prasuti Griha Maternity Hospital, reportedly, due to excess bleeding while undergoing a caesarean operation. Unfortunately, the real truth behind the incident would probably never be known, as in other past cases. It is a fact that in cases involving negligence of the medical practitioners, the doctors and hospital are also known to resort to unethical means to save their face before the public, sometimes even hiding the case file or conjuring up afalse case. The Nepal Medical Association and the Nepal Medical Council have tended to side with the doctors, and the patients rarely get justice in cases of dispute.

Although doctors are no magicians, major blunders leading to loss of precious lives cannot be treated lightly at any cost. Sometimes, because of the ignorance of the patients’ relatives, even doctors who committed no mistakes come under fire. But doctors seldom explain to the kin of the patients the risks involved while treating serious illnesses, nor do they keep full written records of cases. To avoid misunderstandings and rows between the two sides resulting from such incidents, the doctors and hospitals need to do these things. If a proper medical system is developed both the parties would get a fair deal. But the guilty doctors should never be shielded.