Professional Ethics is Supreme

( Disclaimer :This is a complete fiction.Any resemblance to any person/s is purely coincidental)

As I sat on my desk sipping coffee I was sweating and lost in my thoughts….
Was I right or wrong?…

I had a wedding invitation in my hand….
Deeya weds Aniket…
….
..
My thoughts took me back two years ago…
.
There had landed an emergency case in my hospital…
The girl in her late twenties was unconcious….her pulse very feeble…
Both my colleague Dr Shobhit , a surgeon and me simultaneously mumbled…..
“Ectopic pregnancy…”
The girl was quickly wheeled into the operation theater and was being prepared for surgery.
As soon as I looked at her…I was shocked …
She was Deeya a family aquaintance’s daughter.Though she did not know me, I knew her very well through the group photographs circulated in our social media groups.
There was a young man with her in his late 20s who was the only accompanying person…who looked visibly shaken…
He while signing on the consent form told us he was Arun,her boyfriend and that they were going to get married soon.
The surgery was successful and we discharged her in two days…
I had sleepless nights and on top of that I was not in a position to tell anyone….not even the husband…
Days rolled on….
A year passed….
And I had gradually come over that incident…
There was a small commotion at the hospital reception…
“Maam Dr Mallika your colleague wants to meet you…” Reeta the receptionist phoned me in my chamber.
” ooh..send her in “
Dr Mallika was a radiologist and her son, a very promising engineer was the most eligible bachelor of the city.
After our niceties…
Mallika continued…
” Actually…we have almost finalized my son Aniket’s marriage.The girl is Deeya. Since you know their family I thought it would be the best to ask you about her.I actually have heard some rumours that she had been admitted to your hospital for an abortion….please…please…tell me…as it is my sons future…”
I was taken aback.
I was in the so called “Dharmsankat” which Arjuna in Mahabharat was facing…
I kept my face straight…calm and emotionless…
And answered…
SORRY..Mallika….I know the family but dont know intimate details of the girl.
As for the rumour of any abortion….It must be a rumour as I dont know of anything happening in my hospital….saying this I excused myself and left…
I drove back home,dashed into my bedroom and cried…
Lying is a sin…
But..
Disclosing a professional secret would be a breach of trust between a doctor and the patient who completely trusts the former.
Yes…I had my answer..
My heart said…
Professional ethics is Supreme..
I wiped my tears and was ready to have my cuppa.

©️Lalita Vaitheeswaran