Beyond the Hippocratic Oath: Physicians and Multiple Forms of Care Work amidst Unequal Healthcare Infrastructures

The emergence of neoliberalism has significantly impacted how people work and perceive work. In this study, we explore the realm of care work in healthcare provision and investigate the intersection of social, emotional, and physical elements of care with the practical realities of working in resource-constrained public hospitals in the Global South. By examining the various forms of care work that physicians undertake in this neoliberal setting, as well as how they navigate and endure these conditions, we broaden our understanding of work and workers in healthcare institutions marked by stark infrastructural inequalities. Furthermore, we identify the conditions that lead to physicians' increased political activism and mobilization in both left and right-wing parties in response to these infrastructural inequalities. Especially in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, physicians participated in mobilizations and counter-mobilizations framed around infrastructural challenges and social injustices. Understanding how work practices interact with material realities helps us gain insights that could lead to better health systems.