On bright sunny day in April 2000, I got a phonecall from Amit. Amit was a journalist for the Telegraph UK as well as a leading newspaper in India. I thought he deserved a separate posting because he was the most human of all journalists I have met. For some reason Amit was fascinated but told me that the Telegraph would not print what he wanted to write. The editor of the Telegraph apparently had some of the evidence on the lack of patient care but could not understand the medical side of it so discarded it. Anyway, Amit was undeterred and decided to write the story he wanted to. He came to our house for lunch with his handheld camera! He was accompanied by Suman Bhucar who was famous in her own right. Amit liked to talk, he was also very pleasant and fun. It was nice to speak to a journalist who was human for once and not judgmental. He also joked about me being the Enemy of the State which amused me no end.
The newspaper in India came up with a huge one page spread [ the largest piece I have ever seen on me]. The title was " The Whistleblower - This 28 year old doctor of Bengali Origin could be mad, or she could be one of the bravest women in Britain". That sentence is of course interesting because Amit told me verbally that the rumour in the midst of the media circulated by the GMC was the first part of this sentence. Of course, no one can prove this but if the GMC or anyone else wants to know how I suspected that the GMC was up to no good, I am fairly astute at interpreting information from journalists. I knew what the GMC was up to but could not prove it in 2000 but did prove it by 2003/4 and during the court case against them. The documents established what I had been warned about through 7 different sources.
Nevertheless, the article he had written amused me somewhat. It was also interesting to see how he viewed things. I shall therefore enclose some extracts
" Considering Rita is at the centre of a huge medical controversy in Britain, she looks remarkably relaxed and happy in the bosom of her supportive and typically Bengali family".
[At this point the GMC were writing memos of the possibility of a mental illness following my letters criticising them]
" Rita's allegations have been dismissed as a product of an over-imaginative mind except that emerging evidence supports her claims"
" We went to see Rita to find out whether she is mad, as her critics claim or whether in taking on the system, she is one of the bravest young women in Britain"
" Although her role has been similar to that of the whistleblower in The Insider, the Hollywood movie about the dangers of exposing corruption in the tobacco industry, Rita laughs and jokes easily when we interview her. Her thick hair looks lustrous in the sunlight. Not totally without vanity she takes off her glasses to be photographed"
" She chats animatedly about outings to see plays especially Asian ones such as the Balti Kings and East is East. She loves to play piano, mainly western classical music, as well as the clarinet and writes poetry as well."
We ask Rita : " What makes you tick?"
She replies " I've a very simple philosophy. I have been brought up to tell the truth. I don't care how people will react".
Since she began her fight against the NHS, her friends and colleagues, mindful possibly of damage to their career prospects, have deserted her.
For more than 50 years since its founding, the NHS has been the symbol of Britain's caring society and the envy of the world. Now, a young Bengali doctor is tearing that image to shreds.
I am grateful to Amit - only because I appreciated the human touch. We never kept in touch as life often moves on and journalists never have time for friends. People are often sources to use and discard. Nevertheless, it was an interesting and amusing meeting and one that made me understand the impact of what I considered to be the most natural thing in the world. I never termed it whistleblowing - I simply termed it " raising concerns to instigate an improvement in the system". I doubt that anyone intentionally aims to be the Enemy of the State. On occasion though it may just happen by accident.
The newspaper in India came up with a huge one page spread [ the largest piece I have ever seen on me]. The title was " The Whistleblower - This 28 year old doctor of Bengali Origin could be mad, or she could be one of the bravest women in Britain". That sentence is of course interesting because Amit told me verbally that the rumour in the midst of the media circulated by the GMC was the first part of this sentence. Of course, no one can prove this but if the GMC or anyone else wants to know how I suspected that the GMC was up to no good, I am fairly astute at interpreting information from journalists. I knew what the GMC was up to but could not prove it in 2000 but did prove it by 2003/4 and during the court case against them. The documents established what I had been warned about through 7 different sources.
Nevertheless, the article he had written amused me somewhat. It was also interesting to see how he viewed things. I shall therefore enclose some extracts
" Considering Rita is at the centre of a huge medical controversy in Britain, she looks remarkably relaxed and happy in the bosom of her supportive and typically Bengali family".
[At this point the GMC were writing memos of the possibility of a mental illness following my letters criticising them]
" Rita's allegations have been dismissed as a product of an over-imaginative mind except that emerging evidence supports her claims"
" We went to see Rita to find out whether she is mad, as her critics claim or whether in taking on the system, she is one of the bravest young women in Britain"
" Although her role has been similar to that of the whistleblower in The Insider, the Hollywood movie about the dangers of exposing corruption in the tobacco industry, Rita laughs and jokes easily when we interview her. Her thick hair looks lustrous in the sunlight. Not totally without vanity she takes off her glasses to be photographed"
" She chats animatedly about outings to see plays especially Asian ones such as the Balti Kings and East is East. She loves to play piano, mainly western classical music, as well as the clarinet and writes poetry as well."
We ask Rita : " What makes you tick?"
She replies " I've a very simple philosophy. I have been brought up to tell the truth. I don't care how people will react".
Since she began her fight against the NHS, her friends and colleagues, mindful possibly of damage to their career prospects, have deserted her.
For more than 50 years since its founding, the NHS has been the symbol of Britain's caring society and the envy of the world. Now, a young Bengali doctor is tearing that image to shreds.
I am grateful to Amit - only because I appreciated the human touch. We never kept in touch as life often moves on and journalists never have time for friends. People are often sources to use and discard. Nevertheless, it was an interesting and amusing meeting and one that made me understand the impact of what I considered to be the most natural thing in the world. I never termed it whistleblowing - I simply termed it " raising concerns to instigate an improvement in the system". I doubt that anyone intentionally aims to be the Enemy of the State. On occasion though it may just happen by accident.
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