Time supposedly speeds up as one gets older. This year has flown by, and this opinion seems to be held across all age groups. Maybe it is the hangover from the pandemic, maybe for doctors (at least) it is the ongoing pressure from all directions and maybe time is actually speeding up.
For most, Christmas is a time of celebration and this year, for the first time since 2019, families will be able to reunite across state borders and the world. New year is a time for setting goals, and many may be seriously reflecting on their priorities and how they want to invest their time. Nobody on their death bed regrets not spending more time at the office.
The holidays are also a time to relax and catch up with reading. Substack has many excellent writers and is worth exploring. Check out Dr Vinay Prasad and Sensible Medicine.
Biologist Luana Maroja wrote on common sense (Substack), the loss of academic freedom and ability to do research in certain fields, and notes “the dangers of closing off so many avenues of inquiry is that science itself becomes an extension of ideology and is no longer an endeavour predicated on pursuing knowledge and truth.”
California has legislated against doctors diverting from the government line. Closer to home, Queensland has passed legislation which is not dissimilar. There are 8 billion people on earth and no two are identical, meaning there is never a one-size-fits all approach in medicine – even if the government wants it. Penicillin is first line treatment for bacterial tonsillitis, but to a person allergic to it, the harms outweigh the benefits.
There are 8 billion people on earth and no two are identical, meaning there is never a one-size-fits all approach in medicine – even if the government wants it.
The lessons of allowing incremental reduction of freedom in society and excluding “the other” must never be forgotten. Senior SS officer Reinhard Heydrich said in 1938 “Asocial elements are defined as people who show their hostile attitudes to society, even if they are not criminals, that they do not want to integrate into the community.” Who gets to define ‘asocial’?
Ronald Regan observed that freedom is only ever one generation away from being lost and must be defended. The ability of doctors to do what is best for the patient in front of them and not be a government functionary must be defended for the next generation of doctors and patients. This is our responsibility.
A big thank you to our readers, and those doctors and health professionals who have taken the time out of their busy lives to share
their knowledge with us.
Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a happy New Year.