An insight into the sad picture of the Doctor-Patient relation in our country!
Every soul who has a degree or a diploma in management is very well accustomed to one particular saying -
The CUSTOMER is the KING or the CUSTOMER is always RIGHT!
But in India there's one industry where the particular sayings fail miserably and it's even more sad that the particular industry I have taken the liberty to talk about is one of the most crucial, sensitive, respected and honored amongst all the service sectors -
The Healthcare Sector!
It is in this sector as far as my understanding goes, since time in memorial, especially in our country, the service giver and not the taker is considered the king if not a demi - god!
What pains me most is today's doctors have failed miserably to maintain that image in front of their patients and their concerned attendants. A king's duty is to ensure the prosperity of his subjects and his kingdom and god . . . well that is best known to one and all. Who am I to elaborate on that!
But how often do we come across a doctor who doesn't see his/her patients as a mere Case Study but really empathizes with them, makes their relatives sit down n gives a patient hearing to them? Not one in my last decade of service in the healthcare sector.
Unfortunately what is most commonly seen are the patients' old parents running from pillar to post in search of the concerned doctor just with the iota of hope that they would hear one positive sign of recovery of their only son / daughter.
Why does the doctor fail to realize that, that particular patient may be just another Bed no. or a case study for him but for the aged parents he/she is the soul bread-earner of that family or maybe after a lot of pain and efforts the parents went through to educate him, had just started to return his parents gratitude by joining his first job.
How often we see a tired, disheveled woman shuttling between doctor to pharmacy to what not with her husband in the ICU fighting for his life and her kids alone at home. Why does the doctor forget that it could be his son or daughter one day!
The ailing husband could be him one day . . . . Would the doctor appreciate if his aged ailing parents or his wife had to run from pillar to post looking for a doctor in the hope of hearing that their son / daughter /husband would be fine and recover soon.
Why is it so hard for them to empathize with their patients?
What went amiss when they were training to be a doctor that made them miss out on this humane side of treatment?
Why is it so hard for them to realize and be empathetic towards their own ailing fellow beings?
It is indeed sad that no - one, not even the doctors themselves can provide us with answers to these few questions. A lot is being written already on improving doctor - patient relationship but unfortunately these write-ups are just that - 'A Write - Up'!
Apart from finding their place in a medical or health journey or maybe a newspaper they fail miserably in occupying a space in the hearts of our dear doctors.
If only they succeeded in that, then maybe the doctors would have realized that we laymen are not to be in their mercy but proper care and attention towards our patients from our doctor is our right.
My humble request to all the doctors who have spared their invaluable time to go through this article . . . ... next time you turn away a parent / spouse who's been waiting to hear of her son / daughter/ husband/wife's well-being, try and place your parent / spouse in their shoes.
You wouldn't turn them away or prefer meeting a medical - representative over them so easy.
Trust me on that!
* Sanzib Roy contributes for the first time to e-pao.net .
The writer can be contacted at sanzibroy(at)yahoo(dot)com .
This article was webcasted on 09th November 2007.
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