Psychiatrists who kill Nidal Malik Hasan

Few people can have been unaffected by the news of the psychiatrist turning on his patients in the military base in the US. It has wide implications and this is the best analysis I have read Click here for a direct link

This article follows the news of the major shooting in American largest military base by the army psychiatrist Dr Nidal Malik Hasan who was known to be a risk and held extreme religious views. It was political correctness which led to the risks being ignored in allowing him to work in US military base. Dr Nidal Malik Hasan was not able to treat his patients while keeping his own belief system intact.

Bright draws attention to the impact of underlying belief systems on the behaviour of doctors. Now Medical students are brought up to fear the General Medical Council and Trust managers instead of loving and enjoying life. They are growing up in a culture where reaching targets matters more than saving lives.

I was brought up in the days when the needs of the patient came first, regardless of any personal cost. The results were not always as good as you wanted but strong beliefs that you were doing the best you could for that patient generally saw you through.

Bright shows the serious consequences of conflicts in belief systems. We will never know exactly what triggered Nidal Malik Hasan's attack on those around him, what combination of racism, religion, war sentiment and distress led him to pull the trigger but it is time for each one of us to see where we stand. We cannot have one set of beliefs for our day job and another for our home life. The conflict is unsustainable and the results unpredictable