By Dr. K. Javeed Nayeem, MD

In the recent passing away of the legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar, her die-hard fans and even moderate music-lovers too, have lost a very endearing and enduring icon. Yes, she was an icon and will continue to remain immortalised for many years because of the very rich legacy of music she has left behind.

I say this because if we look back, we can see how almost every singer and musician, without any exception, who has exited from this world has continued to remain enshrined in the hearts of music-lovers. Even the people who started their careers in the early part of the last century still continue to enthral us to this day a full century later, although they themselves passed away more than half- a-century ago. Music is such an enduring and overwhelming art.

Many people have lamented Lata Mangeshkar’s passing away although everyone knew that it was imminent and inevitable, considering her advanced age, which thankfully had left her active and on her own two feet almost till the end. Yes, dying while we are up and about on our own two feet, without helplessly being confined to a bed and the mercy of caretakers is the most fortunate and dignified way of walking out of this world.

Almost every one of the many patients whom I see in their advanced age and in a very sick state, tell me that one must never pray for a long life unless it is also accompanied by good health. It is so true. Many people have expressed their sense of loss and longing by paying very rich tributes to Lata Mangeshkar through their writings and utterances, which she richly and undoubtedly deserved.

As a music-lover myself, I too feel bad that her melodious voice is stilled forever and we will never get to hear any new songs from her. But some of the great songs that she has left behind will continue to enthral me the way they enthral millions of others which perhaps will mitigate the sense of loss to a large extent.

But I am writing this piece not as much to express my sense of loss as a music-lover but to express my sense of anguish and outrage as a doctor who had the unfortunate chance to see the very disrespectful way she was portrayed while she was hospitalised, albeit briefly.

We saw and continue to see distressing pictures and videos that show her, dishevelled and completely helpless, in a hospital gown, being helped to walk around in her ward with complete disregard to how she would be feeling deep inside her.

A lady who had all through her long life portrayed herself in the most dignified and graceful way, which had actually become her hallmark image, was divested of her dignity and grace by the very same people who were supposed to be looking after her during her illness.

Thankfully, providence was kinder to her than them and this sad phase did not last long. Although I cannot say who exactly was guilty of this cruelty, I certainly can hazard a guess and say that it was the few people who had an occasion to be around her in her last moments who were so thoughtlessly responsible for this insensitive act. This privilege should never have been misused by them to show the world something that should never have been shown.  A patient’s private moments and his or her unhappy and helpless state are something that belong only to him or her. They are not for the world to see and pity them.

Let us imagine for a moment how outraged and insulted she would have felt if Lata Mangeshkar had recovered from her illness and had had a chance to see how she was shown in her state of utter helplessness. It was perhaps only good for her that she did not live to see this. Otherwise, she would have died a hundred times more.

If it was the medical and para medical personnel entrusted with her treatment and care, who were guilty of this shameful act, let me as doctor reiterate here that while we have a great responsibility to protect the lives of our patients, we have a far greater responsibility to see that we also do so only while protecting their dignity and privacy. This is very important because the patients who come to us for treatment and confide in us and reveal their most personal problems and anxieties, do so only with the blind faith that we are different from other mortals and will never ever betray their trust and disclose them to others.

In fact, the ancient Hippocratic Oath that we all take and profess and proclaim to be our guiding spirit, very sternly says that we are duty-bound to maintain absolute secrecy and safeguard not just the lives but also the privacy of our patients.

Have we done so in Lata Mangeshkar’s case? Certainly not. What a shame! I only hope and pray that this will never be repeated any time ever in the future with any other patient who goes to any doctor or hospital for treatment!

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