Author: Dr. Kumud Dahal
Position: Medical graduate
Institution: Institute of Medicine, Nepal
E-mail: drkumuddahal@gmail.com
Additional Authors: Dr.Arya Karki
Submitted Date: August 23, 2007
Published Date: August 23, 2007
This comment was originally posted as a “Reader Response” on the publication date indicated above. All Reader Responses are now available as comments.

I am very much surprised and feel sorry to know about the condition of young medicos being exploited in developing world. I am from one of the poor country from South East Asia where the existing health status is poor. But when it comes to the training standards in regards to the intern/residents duty hour, the situation is not that gloomy. One of the strong reasons behind the flexible working hours in my country is the unity among interns and residents regarding issues of common interests to them. The writer has not mentioned clearly what steps has been done so far to tackle those problem in their part.
I believe the sense of idealism among physicians to heal the individual patient should also be extended to a certain limit to right the injustices that have produced the sickness, wounds and death so that we could be more socially responsible as well. And here comes the issue of we interns and residents suffering so inhumanely and we are waiting for the government to make policies and waiting for their implementation. It does not sound that nice because it is going to take a long time. The process of change should start right from the institution we are studying and working. So I think we should look for other simple yet effective ways to deal with those issues In my medical university, we have few student organizations which are always fighting for their rights. It is not a matter of doing unhealthy politics in medical schools and hence disrupting the educational environment . But it is the question of our survival first which ensures better health care delivery to the public as well. So young medicos should have interactions among themselves as well as with the concerned authorities and raise up issues strongly for our betterment. We all know how important role internists and residents play to run hospitals. And it is not unrealistic to bring about a basic change in our baseline nonconductive circumstances and environments to work if we set a definite goal for us. Perhaps it is rightly said “United we stand, divided we fall.” So lets start the process of change in our own hospitals first and proceed further.