I am a medical officer. My wife underwent surgery for breast cancer at the hands of a God-fearing, gentle, caring surgeon. In retrospect, I now realize that the biggest mistake this affable surgeon did, was to refer my wife for follow-up, to a powerful Oncologist (hereinafter referred to as ‘Con-sultant’). She underwent Radiotherapy and thereafter he advised a course of Chemotherapy. When my wife showed emotion he said, " If you were my sister, I would advise you to take the Chemo and I will guarantee you twenty five years of disease-free life".

Two years later, she developed a secondary nodule along the surgical sear and we went back to the Con-sultant. When he advised a stronger Chemo, my wife asked him about his twenty-five year guarantee. He said, "That’s what I tell all my patients". The night before her second Chemo, this Con-sultant called me to the Nurses’ Station in the hospital, opened a small black book and showed me the names of the drugs to be given, viz. Taxol and Cisplatin. He further said he had phoned an Indian doctor and he had agreed that these should be the drugs to use. I was thrilled that he should be so much concerned regarding my wife.

The day after her discharge following the Chemo, my wife started acting like a zombie. She did not know day from night, whether she ate or not, etc. On phoning our Con-sultant, he said not to worry and those effects would pass off. Matters grew worse and my wife lost 08 kg. in 10 days. Meanwhile, I made arrangements and took her to India. There, I met the doctor referred to by our Con-sultant. At the end of a forty-five minute consultation with him, I realized that:

1. Our Con-sultant had never consulted Dr. Ramesh.

2. Cisplatin is NEVER used in the treatment of breast cancer.

3. The dose of Cisplatin calculated by our Con-sultant for my wife (48 kg.) was more suitable for a 70 kg. man.

4. The mode of administration of Cisplatin was wrong. The dose of Cisplatin should have been dissolved in 2 litres of saline and given in 4-6 hrs., whereas our Con-sultant dissolved it in one pint of saline and gave it over 24 hours.

I have enough evidence to sue him. However, he can rest assured I will not going to litigation as I neither have the time nor the energy to spend in court. Secondly, all the monies awarded to me will not bring my wife back to life! Ninety per cent of the Sri Lankan patients were mismanaged by this same Con-sultant.

In conclusion, my only prayer is that the Gods will save our poor patients from this Con-sultant.