Cheating on the Hajj Vaccinations

There was an article that went viral recently about people who were going to umrah and haj who were trying to cheat on the vaccinations – as it turned out, they had a pool of doctors who were willing to sign on the vaccination book without actually giving the jab. 

I. Cannot. Brain. 

These are people who refuse vaccinations on the basis of religion and purity, and at the same time, they believe it’s okay to start a holy journey with a lie? Even to a Muslim as liberal as myself, I find it highly hypocritical to use the name of God in the same breath that one chooses to justify lying.

As I heatedly narrated the story to my aunt, a general practitioner herself, she stunned me into further silence by telling me how a specific clinic in Kajang would do the same thing. Even worse, she told me of tours organized by specific Ustaz’s who would actually organize this anti-vaccination scams! The members of the tour group would just be told that all the documentation would be settled for them, including a stamped book certifying that vaccinations were taken would be among these documents. 

It is a far cry from the basis of religion. 

She was careful not to mention the name – I would have reported the clinic in a heartbeat. 

As I indignantly told her how unethical it was, she told me that the clinic had previously been reported – it closed down and just re-opened under a new name, with the exact same doctors and the exact same practices. 

The doctors involved are also a disgrace to the medical fraternity; those who know the risks involved and still choose to comply to the requests of these individuals, just for the paltry sum of RM10 per person? 

That’s how much it costs. 

The cost of a lie is RM10. 

The cost of an individual possibly contracting disease. 

The cost of that individual spreading that disease in one of the most highly populated areas in the world. 

Sometimes I really wonder what goes through the mind of these individuals. 

The writers of the original article have apparently forwarded the names of these doctors to the Malaysian Medical Council. I honestly hope they get just retribution for their actions. As anonther doctor aptly said, these people are just selfish.

It is a difficult battle. 

We don’t need our own fraternity making it worse.

Ego

I am not naturally gentle or patient. 

It took years to train myself to not give in to anger. 

A patient came in today with her husband, who had refused to allow her the tetanus jab that we routinely give pregnant patients. I asked him why he refused. 

He shrugged. 

"My mother and her mother never had any jabs, and they’re perfectly fine. I stepped on a nail once and didn’t get the jab and nothing happened to me. Those back in the day were perfectly healthy, but today everyone is full of illnesses.” 

“Those back in the day used to die a lot earlier, and women would die from more complications in childbirth. Are you against it for any other reason? It won’t cause you or her any harm.” 

“Look doctor, I’m the type who once has made up his mind, my mind is made up. Nothing will change it.” 

“If you make this decision fully understanding the reasons behind why we give the jab and you understand, I can’t force you – but if you don’t even want to learn about it, you’re being unfair to your wife and your unborn child. Perhaps you should talk to your family members and get their input?” 

“I don’t care. Even if my mother tells me otherwise it won’t change my mind. If my wife wants to go ahead with the jab, she can – but I’ve told her, if she does it I’ll take her home to her parents and cut contact with her forever.”

…. 

Took me all the energy not to run him down with my car when I left for lunch.