Medical murder under the microscope

Munya Vomo

We can’t live without the assistance of medical practitioners. Well, at least most of us can’t. Some people might know homemade remedies, but even those can only take us a little further in life.

I was woken up by an aching jaw the other night, thanks to a long-overdue visit to the dentist. After shrieking in agony for half-an-hour, I took some strong painkillers and waited for them to kick in so I could get some sleep. It happened gradually, but soon the pain went away.

This is a mundane story, but when I was in the moment, I thought I would die. This is why we appreciate the medical practitioners in our lives. Whether you get public or private medical attention, you always value the input of the doctors and nurses when they help you. We have heard of people giving birth in places other than a hospital, but getting the right person with right knowledge can save a life. So, essentially, we put our lives in the hands of someone and they have some sort of power over us.

This power can be used for good or bad, depending on the character of the doctor.

Sony has two shows, Dr. Feelgood and Death Row Doctors, which look at doctors who played God with people’s lives. We hear testimonies from people who lost friends or family because of a reckless doctor. In some cases, the deaths were as a result of a honest mistake, but others were deliberate.

One of the biggest cases in South Africa is that of Wouter Basson, a doctor who was responsible for the chemical and biological warfare programme during apartheid. Nicknamed Dr Death, Basson is said to have developed many lethal substances that would either kill or make women infertile.

On Dr. Feelgood, we will see the relationship between Elvis Presley, and his doctor, George C Nichopoulos. When Presley died, his doctor was at his side and for the longest time was suspected of foul play.

The same happened in Michael Jackson’s case and his physician has been in hot water since the pop star’s death and many feel that he, too, is guilty.

When we look at these high-profile stories, it would seem that these celebrities cause their own their demise due to their addiction to prescription medicines.

Dr. Feelgood airs at 8pm and Death Row Doctors at 8.55pm on Thursdays on Sony (DStv channel 127).