Amar Singh Club Hosts Seminar on Medical Ethics and Empathy in Srinagar
Peerzada Masarat Shah
Srinagar, July 10:
A thought-provoking seminar titled “Healing With Honor – Ethics & Empathy in Medical Practices” was held at the Amar Singh Club today, bringing to the fore growing concerns over declining ethical standards in the healthcare sector. Organised under the club’s ongoing initiative ‘Common Interest Conversations’, the event witnessed a robust dialogue among senior medical professionals, legal luminaries, and members of civil society.
Presided over by Senior Advocate Zaffar A Shah and chaired by noted neurologist Dr. Sushil Razdan, the seminar addressed issues ranging from medical commercialization and pharmaceutical lobbying to the worrying erosion of empathy in doctor-patient relationships.
Renowned psychiatrist Dr. Mushtaq Margoob, pulmonologist Dr. Naveed Nazir, and senior physician Dr. Abdul Wahid also contributed valuable insights. Dr. Wahid shared personal stories of negligence and misdiagnosis, emphasizing the need for doctors to “listen more and prescribe less,” while invoking the memory of legendary Kashmiri doctors like Dr. Ali Jan and Dr. Naseer, who epitomized compassionate care.
Dr. Margoob presented alarming data on physician burnout, stating that burnout rates had risen from 16% in the 1990s to 43% today. He also expressed concern over a growing trend of sociopathic detachment in the medical profession.
Dr. Razdan acknowledged the pressure under which modern doctors operate but reiterated that true healing stems from empathy, not just equipment or credentials. “Medicine is not a business—it’s a trust between human beings,” he remarked.
Calling out unethical practices like unnecessary C-sections and stent procedures, Amar Singh Club Secretary Nasir Hamid Khan reminded attendees that healing is a sacred duty, not a corporate venture. He called for robust regulatory mechanisms to address exploitative practices.
Advocate Zaffar Shah proposed the establishment of an independent legislative monitoring body to audit prescriptions and ensure professional accountability. “Like any other profession, medicine needs a transparent redressal mechanism to restore faith in the system,” he noted.
Dr. Naveed Nazir called for ethical prescribing practices and better regulation of generic drugs, warning against blind acceptance of pharmaceuticals without proper quality checks. He also advocated for a shift towards universal healthcare.
The seminar concluded with a unified call for introspection and reform within the medical fraternity. Participants agreed that it is time for the profession to reclaim its core values—ethics, accountability, and above all, compassion.
The gathering urged both the medical community and government institutions to work hand-in-hand to restore the nobility of the profession and rebuild trust in the healthcare system.
