"Thaaththa," Bindu Udagedera asked, "what is all this fuss about a medical college?"
"Well," Bindu's father Percy said, "I think the government wants to set up a private medical college…"
"So, what is wrong about that?" Bindu wondered.
"I think the doctors' trade union is protesting against that…" Percy said.
"But thaaththa," Bindu remembered, "didn't they have a private medical college some years ago as well?"
"Yes, they did," Percy remembered, "but then the rathu sahodarayas protested against it…"
"And what happened then?" Bindu was curious.
"The government at that time had it affiliated to a state university as its medical school…" Percy explained.
"So," Bindu asked, "what is the problem with this new medical school?"
"The doctors' trade union seems to be against it…" Percy said.
"And why is that, thaaththa?" Bindu inquired, "after all, there are many other private institutions which are granting degrees of their own…"
"Yes," Percy agreed, "that is true indeed…"
"And, aren't there many students who leave the country every year to study medicine in other countries, thaaththa?" Bindu asked.
"Yes, of course there are…" Percy said.
"So," Bindu said, "won't we be saving an awful lot of money for our country if we set up our own private medical school?"
"I suppose you could say that," Percy said, "and we could even earn money for our country by asking foreign students to study in our private medical colleges…"
"Then thaaththa," why are the doctors opposing this private medical college?" Bindu was puzzled, "surely, they must be having some reason…"
"I think what the doctors are saying is that the new medical school should be up to standard…" Percy said.
"So, why do the doctors think that it will not be up to standard?" Bindu wanted to know.
"Well," Percy explained, "the doctors say that there is no proper hospital to train students at this new medical college and this is why they are protesting…"
"So, thaaththa," Bindu suggested, "the simple solution is to build a hospital for them, isn't it?"
"No, Bindu," Percy said, "I'm afraid it is not that simple…"
"Why do you say that, thaaththa?" Bindu asked.
"Well, "Percy said, "because this is a private medical college and because doctors are a group of professionals who deal with human lives, the doctors trade union are saying that the private medical school must be closely monitored to ensure that standards must be maintained…"
"Well, that is not a bad idea at all…" Bindu conceded, "but thaaththa, how do they manage to maintain the standards of all those doctors who return after qualifying in other countries?"
"I think they do that by holding an exam for them…" Percy recalled.
"Then," Bindu said, "there is nothing wrong with the doctor's trade union demanding that everything possible should be done to maintain standards in the new medical school as well…"
"I suppose so," Percy agreed, "so maybe the government should listen to them, after all…"
"Yes, they should," Bindu proposed, " but the government should also ensure that not only medical colleges but doctors also maintain their standards…"
"What do you mean by that, Bindu?" Percy was puzzled.
"Why, thaaththa, if the doctors' trade union insists that private medical colleges should maintain standards for the doctors they train, it is only fair that the government also should make a similar demand from the doctors' trade union…" Bindu argued.
"And what demand is that?" Percy wanted to know.
"Why thaaththa, then the government should insist that doctors also maintain minimum standards in their private practice…" Bindu said.
"And how would they do that?" Percy wondered.
"Why, thaaththa, the government should say that doctors can see only a limited number of patients per day in their private practice to ensure that all their patients are seen properly…" Bindu said.
"I suppose there is no harm in that," Percy declared.
"Then, thaaththa," Bindu suggested, "the government could also say that a doctor doing private practice should spend a minimum period of time with each patient…"
"There is no harm in that too…" Percy agreed.
"And maybe the government could go one step further and say what the doctors could charge for their services instead of charging what they feel like…"
"I suppose that is not a bad idea either…" Percy said.
"Then, everyone would be happy, wouldn't they?" Bindu asked.
"I am not so sure about that, Bindu…" Percy said.
"Why do you say that, thaaththa?" Bindu wanted to know.
"Well, I am sure the doctors' trade union will be happy if the government maintains standards in the new medical school but I am not so sure whether they will be so happy about the government imposing all those conditions on their private practice…" Percy observed.
"But thaaththa," Bindu pointed out, "if the doctors' trade union really has the interests of patients at heart and they are talking about putting patients' lives at risk surely, they can't object to maintaining standards in their private practice as well…"
Percy was not so sure about that.
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