Religion, politics and the science of healing

 

From Dr Venugopal Balchand

Arthur Ashe, in 1975, became the first person of colour and till today is the only black man to ever win the Wimbledon Men’s Tennis title.

In 1993, at the age of 49, he died from complications of HIV AIDS. No. He was not LGBTQI or A.

He acquired his HIV infection from a blood transfusion he received during an Open-Heart Coronary Artery Bypass operation.

There is a very poignant story about this great sportsman. During a press conference, a reporter asked him “Mr Ashe, regarding your HIV, do you ever ask God, why me?”

Ashe’s reply went like this… “Every year 50,000 American kids think of taking up tennis. 5000 actually do. From that 500 may play the game competitively. Fifty might become professional. Five might enter Grand Slams. And one of them might win Wimbledon. When I was proudly holding aloft the trophy in front of the whole world, I never asked God, why me?! Why should I do so now?”

Ashe probably understood God more than most of us. God gives and He takes. In permutations and combinations that only He understands.

For two thousand and twenty-three years, God has not spoken. Certainly not in person or publicly on any stage. In any language. In any country. To any community. Yet a lot of us appear to have heard Him. To understand Him and His thoughts. And we try to interpret Him in many ways. Often for the greater good. But at times for personal or political gain.

This article was inspired by recent comments in the lay press, from lay, non-medical people about how we should be treating certain complex illnesses in certain groups of individuals. HIV is not acquired solely through homosexual activity or blood transfusions.

Unprotected vaginal sex with an infected person, HIV-contaminated needle prick injuries at the workplace, sharing of needles amongst drug addicts, and an HIV-positive mother transmitting the virus to her baby during pregnancy, birth or breastfeeding are other common scenarios. HIV is not spread by air or water, mosquitoes, ticks or other insects, saliva, tears or sweat, or by hugging or shaking hands with an infected person.

It has to be emphasised that tremendous strides have been made, over the years, in both preventing and treating this ailment and its public health repercussions.

After thirty-seven years of practising medicine, I can confidently say that judging a patient before instituting either prophylaxis or therapy is absolutely wrong. Doctors just do not do that. A patient’s character, sexual inclinations, political views, and standing in society have no role in the appropriate care that he, she or they should receive. What about thieves who steal huge sums of money? People who betray the trust of a nation? Do we accord them a different standard of care? Murderers, rapists, and paedophiles will all fall ill at some point in their life. The job of the medical community is to only look after them. Not judge them.

Even the worst criminals the world over receive legal representation. Why? Because justice is a basic human right. So is health. Over the years both justice and health may, at times, have become a privilege but those in charge of public health cannot cater to these exceptions.

Based on solid evidence, lifelong abstinence from sexual activity is associated with a near-total reduction in the risk of developing cervical cancer. That is however not a practical or acceptable suggestion for the vast majority of women.

In the war of biology versus religion, biology almost always wins. And biology is becoming more complex by the day. Very quickly too. The first gay rights march was held five years after I was born. Within the next fifty years, LGBTQIA have tried very hard to become accepted as a legitimate community. And they will get there, one day. After all, they too are God’s creations.

Since time immemorial, religion, politics and medicine have been tightly intertwined like the fibres of a jute fabric. Realistically that piece of jute is not going to come apart in the centuries to follow. As we start 2023 with a new government, new hopes and aspirations, and new goals, my only prayer is that religious authorities, politicians and the medical community engage in intense intellectual discussions and make the correct decisions based purely on scientific evidence for the benefit of our society.

Let not the science of medicine be lost in the art of influencing public opinion for possible political gain. God would appreciate that. - FMT

Dr Venugopal Balchand is an FMT reader.

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.