Will Causing and Postponing the death of a patient add karma to doctors?
TWO QUESTIONS FROM TWO DEVOTEES:
(1) DOUBT FROM A DOCTOR:
We work in ICU where at times we know the prognosis is very poor and also certain incurable diseases … that time we don’t give extra treatment or put such patients on ventilator as this prolongs their suffering … rather some medicines to decrease pain and other suffering is given and person is allowed to pass naturally … but when family opts to do everything despite telling them that all efforts will not yield results we do everything … my question is what we do about not further escalating the treatment … is it right or we should fight whatsoever…. ? many a times high cost is involved and giving in everything to patient with least expected results and draining their finances for same we counsel the family to let the patient pass and natural course of illness progress
(2)
A cardiologist asked like this on Karma to doctors:
Me a doctor works in cardiology. Being a doctor, I have to handle many patients. Always I try for best for the patients but sometimes the result is bad. If the patient is dead and there is little bit unwillingful fault is due to me, am I responsible for this and does it count as my sinful act? (Is it the karma for doctors?). One more question, as a doctor, when patient is dead we have to examine patient and confirm as dead. We have to do such things many times. Sastra said to touch dead body is impure. Therefore, is it necessary to take bath always after this ? Hope you clear about it.
REPLY:
Year 2019 epidemic Covid-19 has established the importance of doctors in a society. They are seen as the representatives of god. It is true also. Doctors are in fact blessed people to help the people with their knowledge and service. They are always mingling with patients that affect their body and mind also severely.
(Read this Post on Covid-19 Precautions and support in our another site HERE.)
See, the Medical Profession is a sacred service, not just a career that is existing even from the age in which the people started to classify the plants, herbs, etc for eating. They became aware of the good and bad effects of all plants. Then, they educated others to eat a particular plants for a particular physical problem and to avoid a particular plants to avoid a particular problem.
Thus, diseases and cure are existing from the day the man started to gain knowledge based on his experiences. Therefore, this is the very old profession/ service.
Even during the period of Krishna’s descendence to earth, medical professionals existed. Even in Deva Loka (heavens), there are doctors headed by Danvantri Bhagawan.
(Parents’ karma or Child’s karma – Which gives a child with disabilities? READ HERE!)
Ayurveda is the oldest medical system in India. Sri Sushrutha, a popular rishi had known so many Ayurveda treatments and he had performed many such surgeries including eye surgeries even 3500 years ago. He has written a guide namely “Sushrutha Samhita” that tells hundreds of secrets on Ayurveda and surgeries. He is known as the “Father of Surgeries”.
Thus, it is clear that, medical profession is very important for a society. If you take astrology, there are signs that show that this person will get a particular disease and it will be cured by the treatment. For some planet positions, no cure will be shown.
This establishes the fact that diseases and cure by doctors were existing in the vedic system of life also.
Therefore, your profession is a dignified and needy one.
Giving treatment for the patients is the duty of a doctor. The result may be positive or negative. That depends on patient’s karma. But, the doctor should do his duty Properly. If he does his duty properly, no need to fear for karma.
(ABORTION IS A SIN AND KARMA FOR PARENTS AND DOCTORS! HOW? READ HERE!)
KARMA FOR THE DOCTORS
REPLY FOR QUESTION (1):
DOCTORS’ KARMA FOR EXTENDING THE LIFE OF PATIENT:
You can extend just the breathing. He has already died as per the actual karmic set up. At the already fixed time of death. he will be made useless. Though you make him alive with breathing support, he will die once you remove the ventilator.
So, the patient’s death has already happened as per the pre-planned time. You can just extend the breathing artificially and postpone the contamination of body. But, you can not recover that patient from death once that patient reaches his time of death.
Karma allows us to undergo treatment as some people would have been destined to live a certain period after treatment since our body is a machine that is subject to disturbances. Karma network fixes a date and time of death. Till that you can do any manipulations. Not wrong. But, unnecessarily extending breathing time when there is no chance of recovery is unnecessary.
(IS ORGAN DONATION ALLOWED AS PER THE SCRIPTURES? READ HERE!)
If a doctor thus extends the breathing time as compelled by the relatives of the patient, that doctor should first clearly tell them that it is useless and there is no chance of recovery at all based on the case severity. IF THEY INSIST FOR VENTILATION SUPPORT EVEN AFTER THE DOCTOR REVEALING THE FACT, THAT DOCTOR WILL NOT INCUR ANY KARMA. YOU CAN EXTEND UNTIL THEY ARE READY TO PAY. It is their waste of money that is the karma of the dependents to spend unnecessarily.
But, if a doctor willfully extends the breathing for making more money, it is a severe karma. It should be avoided.
The background mentioned by you is not karmic for the doctors if they had declared that ventilator support will not be beneficial hereafter and the patient can not be recovered.
The patients should allow the patient die if a reliable and experienced doctor declares that there is no possibility of recovery.
(How should a devotee face the ailments and deaths of Parents & relatives? READ HERE!)
REPLY FOR QUESTION 2:
Though the patient dies, no point of doctor’s karma, ie, the doctor will not add any negative karma until he has sincerely done his treatment. Innocent and Inevitable mistakes can always be forgiven by simple chanting. However, the doctor should be very sincere in his duty forgetting his personal issues. In case the doctor does not give proper treatment out of negligence and the patient is affected, then, the doctor will add negative karma. This is because of the negligence of duty.
Therefore, the doctors should be very sincere in their duties. The patient entrusts himself to the doctor. This is the very big responsibility to the doctors.
If the doctor is not in good mood or position to extend his duty properly, he should apply leave and take rest. He too should maintain his body properly. In 2020 Corona (covid-19) epidemic, hundreds of doctors were affected and even died with covid-19.
(What to do if the doctor prescribes onion and garlic and advices us to take it compulsorily? READ HERE!)
As far as touching the dead bodies is concerned, it will not add any negative karma or dosha because it is the duty of the doctor. No dosha for performing duty sincerely.
In addition to this, the doctors may have to see the hidden parts of the bodies of opposite sex or same sex during the treatment. This too will not affect their purity and consciousness. In fact, they will get a mind like a sanyasi as they are always dealing with the bodies. They will come to know the real nature of our body. This will make them matured in approaching the opposite sex.
In general, keep in mind, if you do your assigned duty sincerely just as a duty, no dosha or karma will add to you.
Therefore, be relieved and perform your duties as sincerely as possible. If you chant Hare Krishna regularly and sincerely, even the unavoidable and INNOCENT mistakes during treatments will be forgiven. Start every treatment after chanting Lord’s name atleast once.
Doctor’s karma is inevitable. If the devotee doctor performs his duties as the service to Krishna, he will always be careful and safe.
Hope you are clear.
(Will chanting enhance my skills and success in my work as a surgeon? READ HERE!)