Doctor’s with a shitty personality can be more annoying than other people with a shitty personality. He who is put on a pedestal next to God does not get a pass at being shitty, and yet there are so many of them. And with this pandemic, doctors have penetrated our homes through panel discussions and debates on TV. And the shitty ones get a bullhorn stuck right in front of them.
'Rising tensions with regard to possible supply shortage has left people alarmed, and they believe hoarding as the only way they can protect themselves. What do you suggest?'
Honestly, this felt like a fairy reasonable conclusion that most of us would come to. Although deep down we all know hoarding isn’t an ideal response to the pandemic, we aren’t above that compulsion.
The doctor who was on the show that day responded with a mocking chuckle, followed by a definite no. ‘No we shouldn’t hoard the new drug’ he said. And he added nothing further.
His chuckle and his definite ‘no’ were way less than a fitting response. I mean, why shouldn’t I hoard the new drug? Hoarding seems like an idea worth considering - especially because of the limited information we have and the intense panic that has surged through every household in the wake of the pandemic.
What bothered me about his oversimplified response was the ignorance. Doubts and myths about the pandemic must be responded with facts. Every question is worth a comprehensive answer, because we can’t risk doing otherwise. Professionals must ensure greater awareness among people about what the future looks like and what we can do to protect our communities. They must know this better than anyone, but this guy was just another shitty doctor laughing at how dumb and irrational people’s conclusions can be without even considering the reasons for such conclusions.
My mom standing behind me suddenly said ‘Do you know who he is? He’s the doctor that killed your dad.’
...I mean what the fuck?!
That’s what my mom does sometimes. She blurts out something extremely chilling and scary that you cannot even make out if she’s being serious. But of course I knew what happened. And no, my dad was not killed by this doctor. It just happened that 10 years ago, he was responsible for the surgery that led to my dad’s inevitable death. I immediately defended the doctor by saying how he must’ve saved so many lives in his career, and how she couldn’t just 'announce' something that wasn't even true. But this doctor chuckled; and I hated to see him chuckle.
The other doctor on this virtual panel was asked the same question and he explained how these new covid-19 drugs are not ‘over the counter medicines’ that could be taken without prescription. Taken without a doctor's instruction, they might cause major side effects especially to people with preexisting conditions. He further explained how all pharmaceutical companies are dedicated towards its mass production, and there would be no lack of supply to worry about. Ah good! Here comes the actual doctor with the facts. No chuckle, no judgment, but someone who knows his duty and fulfills it.
This has been one of my pet peeves for the longest time - people who don’t do their jobs well, either due to ego or sheer ignorance. Maybe I’m more critical of this man because of how life has brought us together in a series of unfortunate events. But still, he could’ve been better.
