The Good Doctor

 
This book by South African writer from Pretoria, Damon Galgut, is a story of two doctors in post apartheid South Africa in a semi-rural hospital. 

The hospital was constructed by the home land and now is almost deserted.  There is not a single patient on many of the days. And there are just 4 doctors and one nurse who hasn't even completed his nursing exam. The villagers avoid this hospital because it represents to them, all that was wrong with apartheid, because it was constructed by a brigadier of the homeland.

There to this hospital, comes a new dreamy eyed doctor Laurence who wants to change the world - make it a better place for everyone.

He is here as part of mandatory community service. He wants to really help the people. But where are they?

He is housed with another doctor Frank. Frank is middle aged, separated from his wife and disillusioned with the world. He has come to this bantuland, after his wife started having an affair with his best friend and left him.

So of course, he looks at Laurence and his ideals with contempt. But due to the bad conditions of the hospital, he is forced to share his room with Laurence.

Poor Laurence idolizes Frank and follows him every where like a puppy. 

So the book poses the question - how do we know what is right and wrong? Can we decide it before knowing the complete circumstances? 

If a poor black nurse who is an orphan, who had faced lot of struggles, steals from the hospital, should he be reported or not?

If a army colonel tortures an asthmatic enemy struggling to breathe, and asks the doctor how much more can he withstand, what should the doctor do? 

And if that poor black nurse one day comes back after a sudden disappearance,  critically wounded and accompanied by  a cop and a handcuffed to his bed, does one feel sad for him or relieved that he may no longer hurt one?

But finally one day when he recovers and vanishes with the same good doctor who wanted to change the world, does one feel that the world is very very cruel?

Is there any place in the world for ideals and idealists?