HUMOUR IN UNIFORM
My first encounter with armed forces
After graduation in Dentistry, I was very keen to donn the olive green (OG). ‘Catch them young’ is the phrase used in armed forces all over but at the time of my entry into armed forces I was 27. I received a Demi Official (DO) letter from the adjutant of my first unit, briefing me about the unit location and how to reach the location. I intimated the arrival time of my train at Jammu and also wrote that I shall wear a name plate. As my train screeched down to halt I was very keen to get down and meet my reception party. In all this hurry and excitement I forget to put on my name plate I started pacing the plat form in anxiety and soon everybody had left. A uniformed official was also pacing the platform with a photograph in hand and looking at people in a searching mode. I still was not sure whether he was looking for me or somebody else but when he went to see my vacated seat in the berth, could I realise that this Junior Commissioner Officer (JCO) was indeed looking for me only. Finally I wished this gentleman and in turn the entire reception team saluted very smartly. I could find the satisfying glee on their faces. Soon my luggage was bound for the luggage truck, a ten tyred giant vehicle. To my surprise my small suit case and bedding lay majestically on the wooden platform of this giant vehicle. A separate vehicle took me to transient camp. When I alighted from the army vehicle and reported to the camp reception I overheard a stiff conversation between an officer’s family and the transient camp mess manager. Officer’s wife was complaining that since the last 4 days, menu is the same. Mess Manager was firm on one point, “Madam, it is not the menu but the guests who change daily”. Gentlemen officers don’t miss the bar in the evenings. I was also a thorough bred hosteller and early bird for bar. As I drowned 2-3 drinks I entered into conversation with another young lieut. I did not know the difference between corp and a regiment. Army dental corps is called AD Corps but somehow by slip of tongue or out of ignorance I introduced my self as ‘Lieut’ P.K. Sharma from AD regiment and as I came to know later on, AD regiments are air defence regiments.
Soon the gentleman started talking about L70 and 90 bofors anti air craft guns. I was lost how a dentist will be at all involved with guns of this caliber. Soon I realised that some senior officers were also sitting along side and I changed the topic to save face. There were too moods in the bar. Those bound downwards from Jammu on leave were cheerful and chirpy and officers who returned from leave were quiet. After the dinner everybody was collecting a slip called LRC (Last Ration Certificate). When I asked for the same, I was politely told, “you are still a civilian”. Full days’ journey, stay at transient camp, Srinagar and finally another day’s journey to my unit location at Pattan left me drained of all energy. Officers accommodation was fully occupied and I was accommodated in officers ward of this field hospital. I had been instructed not to show up in the mess till I was pipped and formally inducted. Officer ward room bed was too high for any sense of comfort and I decided to have an evening walk. It was to my sheer misfortune that the quarter guard was just in front of the officer’s ward and I was ignorant about the saluting protocols. In my blissful ignorance I was strolling in front of the Quarter Guard and with every round I heard those shrieking salutation. I enjoyed the visual treat in those Salami Shastars. I was in my standard PT dress and the soldiers on Quarter Guard duty did not know my rank. So every time I was given that ‘Salami Shastar Salutation’. A thoroughbred civilian, I could never imagine that these soldiers are saluting me. I was under the impression that these soldiers were doing some kind of drill. It was only after some time when the soldiers on duty were about to collapse that a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) who had witnessed the entire drama reported the matter to the adjutant of the unit. A senior Dental Corp Lt. Col. came to my room and reprimanded me about my ‘abnormal’ behaviour. I was given two hours lecture on services’ ethos and officer like qualities (OLQ). An NCO (Non Commissioned Officer) came after him to brief me on weapon handling and security drills. I was strictly prohibited from undertaking post dinner strolls. Realization dawned on me that I am in for some serious business. NCO made me wear my dress and checked it to the minutest details. All went well except for heavy military shoes. Quartermaster sent brand new shoes but these shoes won’t fit in at all. NCO called in another soldier to fit shoes on my feet. In my lifetime I had never worn such heavy shoes. When I looked in the mirror, I realized that I was becoming a soldier. Next day morning at sharp 8 A.M. I was marched to commanding officer’s office in uniform without pips. A soldier carried those lieut pips in silver tray. Commanding Officer then Col. AG Gokaran declared in front of all officers that Army is inducting a ‘civilian in uniform’. As much as I learnt from this fiasco, army learnt equally well and stopped taking in officers without formal military training.
Dr. Capt. Pardeep Sharma
MEDICO LEGAL MAFIA
A rot from within
Sequence and chronology of events
07 August 2007 – A senior doctor writes to SMO I/C Civil Hospital, Ludhiana to make separate sitting arrangement for paramedical staff.
08 Aug., 2007 – After the written request from the doctor two paramedical female employees allege sexual harassment at work place against the doctor who had requested for alternate sitting arrangement for the paramedical staff.
10 August 2007 – A preliminary fact finding enquiry committee consisting of SMO, Medical Officers and also another senior lady medical officer report the complaint to be false and motivated.
August 12 – The same two paramedical employees allege that the same doctor has now used casteist remarks against them. Civil Surgeon Ludhiana visits Civil Hospital and tries to settle the issue.
August 13 – All employees except doctors go on strike in Civil Hospital, demand doctor’s suspension. Print and electronic media report stories without the said doctor’s version.
August 14 – Doctor comes out openly in front of media, refutes all allegations and points out the real intentions of the union leaders. Doctor openly declares that these union leaders are the front people for medico legal mafia and they want to disrupt the functioning of the hospital on one or the other pretext.
August 16 – Harassed doctor buys peace with unions and reaches a compromise under extreme pressure. One of the most qualified and experienced doctor is shifted to office of civil surgeon Ludhiana under unrelenting pressure from the unions.
August 18 – Civil Hospital senior radiographer is caught red handed while accepting bribe. Vigilance Bureau registers the case.
August 19 – Nabbed radiographer sings out in police custody, large chunk of money was paid to senior officers also. Radiographer is sent to jail, feigns illness and referred back to civil Hospital. Radiographer is admitted to Civil Hospital without Civil Surgeon’s knowledge and SMO incharge of civil hospital shows total ignorance on the subject.
August 20 – A lady patient alleges misconduct of sexual nature against another Senior Surgeon of Civil Hospital. A section of hospital paramedical and nursing staff side with the patient and demand written apology from the doctor. Issue is thrashed is media.
August 22 – Real story becomes open once again. Lady patient was implanted. Police catches two black-mailers red-handed. Blackmailers name the union leaders as co-conspirators.
If we look at the chronology and sequence of events in the background of uneasy calm that was prevailing, modus operandi of medicolegal mafia becomes clear.
When patients report to the emergency deptt. of the hospital for issuance of medicolegal reports, they invariably encounter any one or more of the touts, always ready to solicit a deal. Tout can be anybody from a hospital sweeper to canteen boys, car parking workers, petty politicians, prostitutes, pharmacists, nurses on duty, local small time journalists with one page newspapers etc etc. When these deals are made blackmailers of all hues and shades also lurk around. The stage has come where all of these players coexist peacefully with a tacit mutual understanding and approval. Now there is enough room for all of them. They have found a permanent place for themselves within the system. They have over the periods developed strong ties with insiders of the system. You quote a favour, they will quote the price and they can get anything done. Under trials, prisoners, policemen on duty, they all are seen in the emergency deptt of the hospitals. Even the policemen on duty become immune to the soliciting scenes in such places. They simply remain mute spectators to the happenings. Warring rival factions openly clash in hospital premises and everybody knows about it except for few policemen posted in the police post.
People from criminal gangs, land mafia and many more of such types openly roam around with mobile phones to their ears and calling insider staff members to welcome them in Hospital canteen. They have regular business dealings with certain “Key players” inside the hospital. Certain politically connected criminal gangs have patron client relationships with these key players. These key players have survived under all governments. Now they call shots and have access to highest possible authorities. With political and administrative patronage their working is absolutely smooth. This game of influence, clout, share and patronage has catapulted this murky business into an industry. With so many players ready to play the role of mediators, deals are hardly a problem. Language of medicolegal report changes with the kind of inputs. When favourably predisposed supporting and mediating staff go out of their way to record the injuries for the emergency medical officer. Sometimes regular ‘clients’ ask for extra favours like exaggerating the injury or recording injuries which actually are not suffered at all. These ’special clients’ are escorted to injury fabrication units run by insiders outsider collaboration. You spend some money and get any kind of injury inflicted, faked or registered. Whether you want to break you leg or foot, you simply consent at these units and it is done in most scientific method. The emergency medical officer then notes down these injuries in the medicological reports and the patient is sent for eye, dental, surgical or orthopaedic opinion. Invariably such patients are escorted to the concerned specialist by hospital staff or the specialist is contacted on cell phone. The favours are returned to perfection and with a smile. No money changes hands on the spot. Accounts are settled weekly or sometimes after 15 days. Emergency medical officers, and specialist stay clean. There is no set procedure for writing of Medico legal reports and normally as per law unless untill it is an emergency medico legal reports are written only after registration of FIR’s. Some unscrupulous experts misuse discretion vested in them. Jail in mates are admitted to hospital for months together without any sufficient reason. This nexus is not only restricted to Civil Hospital premises but goes well beyond into jails also. Beneficiaries of the system are corrupt officials, criminals and certain other vested interest, but the civil society has everything to lose. Medicolegal reports are sent to police stations concerned and on basis of such “clean” reports, criminal cases are registered against alleged ‘assailants’. The entire process of criminal justice is derailed, innocents are framed in false cases, victims of trauma and violence are shown fit even when they are not. The record of these cases is maintained in Civil Hospitals and the record clerk and medico-legal duty pharmacists become important conduits for subversion of this criminal justice system. This deadly game has attracted some key players and has finally taken the shape of tightly knit mafia run undercover industry. Certain unscrupulous doctors, pharmacists, radiographers and record clerks have by now complete hold of this subverted system. Money generated by these operations goes up very high in the chain of command. There is a mafia within mafia also. Those senior officers who control the postings of these key players charge protection money from them. Like any other under cover organisation, this mafia also has its share of rivalry among factions and the unsuspecting public eye catches glimpse of their doings only when these rivals clash and spill the beans in open. Recent strikes by paramedical employees in Civil Hospital Ludhiana were also the result of factional splits and when one group tried to show its hold on ground. This mafia has at its disposal vast resources and howsoever up right individual officers can not fight this menace on their own. No wonders these players are active in this business since decades and they have amassed wealth worth crores. Their nexus with politicians, criminals, senior departmental officers, bureaucrats, small time journalists and blackmailers of all hues and shades have emboldened them to take on anybody who comes in their way. This is exactly what happened at Civil Hospital Ludhiana and this is what is exactly happens all over the state. When one upright doctor tried to stand up to them and oppose, the entire might of mafia was brought down to bear. Even senior officers like Civil Surgeon and Deputy Medical Commissioner who stood with the officer, failed to secure him justice. False charges were levelled against one upright officer, propaganda conducted through a section of electronic and print media and the administration humbled. Finally the odd officer who had shown the courage to stand up, was shown the door. Today only one doctor is working in place of three in that deptt and there is no need felt to send in some doctor to that deptt because that will upset the apple cart. Why one BDS doctor is given the sole charge of dental deptt. where maximum number of medicolegal opinions are given, while 4, MDS doctors are working in the interiors. The doctor who was forced out of Civil Hospital has the best credentials among dental surgeons all over Punjab. Then where are the interests of state, its people, their health and finally any justice ? why was the administration in a hurry to remove one doctor and please the unions, because the show must go on ! and the spoil-sport be thrown out. In all this noise and din Vigilance Bureau Ludhiana caught unionist leader and senior radiographer red handed while accepting a bribe of Rs. 5000/- but the nabbed radiographer was referred back to Civil Hospital from Central Jail, Ludhiana. The accused and tainted radiographer was admitted to Civil Hospital on instructions from immediate Senior Officer. Even if this was not enough, unionists remained active in gaming and this time another senior surgeon of Civil Hospital, Ludhiana was framed in a case of alleged sexual misconduct with a female patient. Not only the charges against this doctor proved to be false but his blackmailers were also caught red handed while extorting money from him. Again the conspirators in the entire episode were union leaders. Why the SMO is always in a hurry to recommend the transfer of upright people when no such recommendation have been sent for blackmailers and criminal conspirators. Why undue sympathy is shown to people nabbed by Vigilances Bureau. Either these senior officers are blackmailed or have been co-opted. The stakes are high for key players. Big money is involved and the game is becoming criminalized day by day. System has been totally compromised and the corrective action by few upright officers has by and large failed. Whistle blower has been scarified, few upright senior officers who supported this officer have also burnt their fingers. Two visits by the Health Minister thereafter have yielded no results and the mafia sits pretty. Have we lost the will to fight and finally given in ? Ball is finally in the court of civil society.
By: Pardeep Kumar SharmaAbout the Author:
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