Should a Doctor Retire?

“Hi Doctor Sahab! This is me”, few words I tried to recall my introduction to a doctor (now retired) who over couple of decades new me very well, but could not recognize me, may be a sign of being a senior citizen now. In an another bitter experience, an elderly retired lady doctor would give a nod and discretion to my spouse's question, she would ask to the doctor regarding treatment, akin to putting the patient's words into the mouth of the doctor every time she had to visit her and then a bad consequence to follow and many more such examples.

Patients always put their trust in sharing pain and suffering to a doctor. Greater than money has been society's gift of personal respect bestowed upon doctors, who are seen as the epitome of God's blessings. As said, “Those who are occupied in the restoration of health to others, by the joint exertion of skill and humanity, are above all the great of the earth. They even partake of divinity, since to preserve and renew is almost as noble as to create.”—Voltaire.

And Then Transition: Retirement though no doubt is a transition into a new stage of life for those who served the society selflessly for decades, people who continue to serve post retirement enable themselves maintain their professional identity, but should it define its overall, widely adopted at a particular time, keeping in view the signs of aging and slowing down.

Does this stage of life serves the purpose of the word ‘Retirement’ and can this transition only be used as a definition that fits well in Government hospitals and doesn't suit in private. Do a mechanism need to be evolved to assess whether the purpose of this transition has been served; A question arises, do the doctors in developed nations serve the society post retirement.

If given a chance to serve, shall it be fair to adopt some criteria to do a ‘cross-section’ as how their treatment is being perceived by the people, post retirement vis-a-vis physical and mental assessment and its impact on the overall society or you may face a question of 'brain-drain'! Do a regular assessment is not required to affirm the results of the treatments to avoid any impact of post-transition changes, which for sure is reality of life as change is inevitable and cannot be taken as disregard for doctors- cream of the society, given that the influence of their words and behaviour on patients is considerable.