Learning by Listening

Reflection - 2

Doctor's day, 2012 - Learning by Listening

During my two years at the Pondicherry Institute of Medical sciences, I have had an unusual experience of listening to many who stay on the coast of Pondicherry and live from fishing. Since the tsunami devastated their homes and possessions seven years back, the yield from fishing has also decreased substantially, affecting the major source of their income. Many have had to rediscover other skills to find an employment.

Some who felt that fishing is their traditional trade, found that it was no more possible to own individual fishing boats and maintain them.The diesel had become costlier to use the motorized boats. From among this group, a few tried going out into the sea in their catarmarines, but found that they were able to find sufficient catch only in the deep sea for which the catarmarines were  not suitable. So they arrived at an experiment of pooling their motorized boats and going out in to the seas at three different times during 24 hours, in small groups , which would provide an opportunity for those who cannot own boats, to go for fishing by hiring a boat on a nominal fees.

Five years later, this group has discovered something most valuable. If they went out into the sea three days in a week, it would reduce their expense on diesel and they can manage with the income they get from a reasonable catch on those days. This led to a co-operative endeavor between the neighbors, who earlier were in a rat race of competition with each other for a improving their lot. Now there are neighbors who share their boats among themselves, and even  their catch of fish, thereby creating a better friendly atmosphere in the neighborhood. The women are the happier lots, as their husbands have decreased their spending on alcohol consumption and more money is available for the common use of the family. The income is less, but there is more money available for the family.

I realize that collaboration is the way for meaningful relational existence. In the practice of Medicine, it is most critical. Recently a team from five institutions were  involved in separating a siamese twin of 11 months at a hospital at Padhar, Beutul district, M.P. In my speciality, I am helpless unless professionals from other disciplines are equally involved to offer an integrated approach to a child, who is developmentally disadvantaged.

However, I wonder whether there is sufficient cross consultation and collaboration among medical professionals. I sense there is lot of competition and confrontation among us.

Let this Doctor's day,  invite us to consider this calling, that we are naturally destined to work as colleagues in a spirit of giving and receiving. This is inherent to the vocation of medicine.

M.C.Mathew.