Ashis thoughts

It has been n another intense stretch of time, whether you call it a week, a month, or simply the unfolding of 2026 itself.
Working in forensic medicine means standing at the crossroads where life fractures. We encounter people who have overdosed on designer drugs, victims of traffic accidents, incidents in factories, cases of euthanasia, individuals in police custody, victims of sexual violence, and injuries affecting both the very young and the very old. Often, these are not strangers in some abstract sense, but people rooted in families, in communities, in lives that matter deeply.

This field exposes you to the darker contours of society. And yet, even there, there is light.
Because within these cases lie signals. Patterns. Stories that point toward larger truths. Neglect of the elderly. Child abuse. The growing accessibility of designer and “smart” drugs. Gaps in psychiatric care. People falling through systems that were meant to hold them.
Forensic medicine is, in many ways, a listening post for society. We see what surfaces when things go wrong. And that gives us not just a responsibility to document, but an opportunity to speak, to reflect, and to act.

Personally, I feel increasingly drawn not only to the symptoms we encounter, but to the roots beneath them. To understand, to explain, and to connect the dots of what is happening around us. Because while much in society is functioning well, there remains a group of people who are left behind. And that reality continues to move me.

In the coming weeks and months, I will continue building on this through conversations, projects, and gatherings. The unconferences remain a central part of this journey. Spaces where people from different worlds come together, not with fixed agendas, but with curiosity and a shared intent to make things better.
There are meaningful conversations ahead, starting this Friday. I look forward to seeing where they lead.
If you’re curious, keep an eye on
dokterashis.nl
(D-O-K-T-E-R-A-S-H-I-S)

There will be more on upcoming events, on the intersection of care, storytelling, and AI, and on the small and large ways we can respond to what we see.
And beyond all of this, there is life itself. The people we care about. The moments we share. The grounding that keeps this work human.
To those of you I’ve spoken with, and those I hope to see soon: let’s meet, let’s talk, let’s build something worthwhile together.
Take care.

Namaskar,
Ashis
Ashis Brahma

#forensics
#thoughts

Guido Hoogeveen Lilian de Keyzer Hubert Geven Jonne Kortmann John Nieland