Doctors on Strike

  We have a tendency to look at medical doctors in a special way. We think that they are some magical creatures, who can never be tired, with whom we can be rude and impatient, at whom we can yell, and we can completely disregard that they are human beings who work harder than almost any of us with more responsibility then all of us, since this is what they chose. They swore to take care of us in our hour of need, no matter what.

  Have you ever stopped for a moment to think, that to be a doctor one has to study the longest years in universities, that once they have done that they still have to go through the years of specializing, and even after that they can never stop studying? Or that they scarifies time from their personal lives and loved ones, because after work they still have to study or do some paperwork? Or that they work extremely long hours, sometimes with no rest, sleep or a lunch break, and even after 30 hours of work they still have to provide the same amount of attention to every detail as if they just have started to work? Or that there never seems to be enough of them? Or the conditions they have to work in? Or that they work under enormous amount of pressure, because they are responsible for other people`s lives? Or that they need to make hard decisions in seconds, because someone`s life is depending on it? Or that they put their lives in risk every day for us?

  Most people don’t think about what`s behind the scenes. They don’t think that when you are sitting in an office or in the emergency room and by being impatient and making a fuss you don’t just disturb the rest of the patients, you also disturb the work that’s going on. People think I am the most severe case, or I was here first…in this cases people tend to be selfish. They don’t care, that the doctor haven’t slept in 25 hours, or that s/he just had to deal with an aggressive drunk who had an accident, or that s/he might have a sick child at home, or that s/he is not getting paid for what he is doing.

  Doctors are public servants…and the point is on the servant. They are servants to us all. Who cares if they are underpaid or that they don’t get paid? We just want them to be there for us, when we need them, no matter what. 

  People think it’s wrong for them to strike, because then who will take care of me if I get sick, but people don’t think that, that doctor who treats me is struggling to provide for his/her family. Why is it wrong for them to stand up for themselves and say enough is enough? It’s not, since there is no one else who will. And now everyone can say that nobody stands up for other workers either unless it’s your own skin. But when doctors are not getting paid its everybody’s problem, not just theirs. Because one day or another we will all get sick and we would all want to see a doctor whose main concern is to treat us, and not their family`s livelihood.

  It is easy to think that strikes are about getting a raise, or shorter hours, or better working conditions, but they are not always about these. Sometimes people just want to get what is rightfully theirs. Although doctors would have a reason to strike for any of the three reasons I have mentioned above, they don’t. They strike to get their salaries for what they have worked for months ago, and put an end to cutting their salaries further down. 

  When doctors strike they don’t stop working all together like other workers, they continue to provide emergency services. Yet, most people still feel they should keep on working, like somehow they should only care about others and be there for others, when it seems that no one cares about them and there is no one there in their need of hour.
 

Please comment, I wold love to hear you opinion. Thank you :-)