DOC-PATIENT RELATIONSHIP

Especially after the advent of Loktantra, people's consciousness has grown by leaps and bounds. This is aptly demonstrated at the sights of patients' party raising a storm of protest at the slightest of mistakes on the doctors part.Not long ago, the patients' party used to quietly accept the result; if their loved ones survived, they would eulogize the doctors as God and if, by any mistake, could not survive; they would take it as their fate and silently leave thanking the doctors for having put in their best efforts. But, things have drastically taken a big U-turn since then. This noble profession has lost its credibility among the masses. The belief that 'Doctors are Gods' is fast eroding. The respect it held among the hearts of so many people is no more there. There is no hesitation to resort to hooliganism and vandalism in the hospital premises. People are so easily making death threats to their one-time Gods. Why is this happening? The medical fraternity and the general public alike need to do some serious soul-searching before things go out of control.

It's indeed needless to say that the attitude of today's doctors toward their patients is frankly disgusting. They consider themselves superior to the patients and openly boast of their 'Doctor' title.Their behaviour is no different. The poor patients are often discouraged from expressing their problems wholly. No matter what the patients have to say, these self proclaimed intellectuals of the society always seem to be in a tearing hurry and lack an iota of patience to listen to their 'customers'. It feels as if they have already eaten away their medical ethics and the hippocratic oath.

It's no secret that majority of our folks havenot even heard of English, let alone understand it. Then, dear doctors, what's the point in unnecessarily using english words in between while talking to those patients or the patient's men? I've encountered many people who have pretended to understand the doctor, but in reality lay totally confused. I'm afraid, what will be the upshot of it all?

As this profession is concerned with the life and death of a person, even a slight carelessness on the doctor's part may claim so precious a life. Against this backdrop, I wonder why on earth, these healers can't even pat their patients with little bit of affection? What has stopped them from being a loving and caring professional? Why are they not able to devote a little extra time in the name of poor patients when they have surplus of time to spend in the private clinics? Thee questions will probably never be answered.

I think it's neither the money nor the bulky books alone that has made them what they are today: A 'magic healer' with a brisk walk and a jolly mood in white apron and a stethoscope round the neck. It's those helpless patients too. I like to ask doctors; had these bedridden people forbidden you from palpating their liver, would you have learnt palpating it from your books? A big NO indeed. Patients, therefore, are to be treated as their own family members. It is said that half of the patients' illness automatically fades away by a doctor's smiling visage and soft-spoken behaviour. So, why not do it if one has entered this noble profession with the sole motive of selfless service to the needy? Why not improve the quality of doctor-patient relationship in the best interests of both the parties? Why not repose the total faith in one another to bring in the best results?

It's already late and if things donot move in the right track anytime soon, rowdism in the hospitals and nursing homes is sure to escalate further. And as a response, the senseless strikes from the doctor's side too will continue unabated. That will cost this noble profession very dearly.