Doctor’s plight or patients’ plight!!!!

We are so dependent on doctors from birth these days. The advancement of science has improved the quality of life and extended the life span for all of us. When we have any illness we become panic and wonder what may be wrong. Thanks to information age we realize fever is just a symptom. If the fever subsides with a Paracetamol we are happy but if it is not cured it is another agony, “What could the disease be?” is the question that persists in our mind. So these days when the doctor requires us to takes blood test, urine test, CT scan, MRI scan, Doppler test……..,.so many tests and the ultimate is Biopsy, we are scared.

By the time the patient goes through these they are physically, emotionally and financially drained out. The kith and kin go through anxiety and frustration. Some doctors have also counselors to help in counseling the kith and kin of the patient.

We are annoyed and become impatient!!!

We may also go in search of second opinions, third opinions and some times fourth opinion, in the same state, other states or abroad depending upon your economic status.

By then we hear stories about how a patient was or was not treated by a doctor X or Y. Some also suggest that the form of medicine need to be changed: ayurvedha, siddha, homeopathy and so on. It is like switching from Windows to Linux operating system. The patient and the family become perplexed and wonder whether they are going in the right direction of treatment.

The doctor who is currently consulted patiently observes the development and suggests next course. Whether the patient will continue his or her treatment with the same doctor, is a matter to wait and watch. In fact by then the doctor would have narrowed down the findings to a specific cause of decease. But if the patients’ patience is lost the process have to start all over again.

It is true that these days it is difficult to find good committed doctors. But it is again the matter of trust. In my native place my grandfather lived for 94 years hale and healthy. He died because he thought he was still young and jumped the compound wall!! He had only one primary doctor (MBBS) through out his life to consult, also for the entire family and for all the village people. Probably they had no options and they trusted the only person.

When we shifted our residence in 1975 to Adyar there was no doctor of fame. After few days we found that a young chap who had finished his medicine from Bombay (now Mumbai) and was working in VHS and offering consultation in the evening. This doctor’s fee was just Rs 10 in this posh locality of Chennai. Later it was increased to Rs. 100. Our ordinary to urgent need was referred to him, he was our trusted doctor. We trusted him this young chap all through his life probably because we did not have much option, and many specialists.

He got married, had children resigned his job and became a full time consultant. His wife was the receptionist there. We were family friends and mutually extended invitation for all the functions in our home.  He was the only person we were referring to until recently. (Now he has retired from this area and joined his daughters).

Today we have micro level specialist for any kind of disease. The number and kind of disease is also increasing.

We are very judgmental and always blame the doctor if things go wrong and feel happy and recommend him or her to many if we are cured.

Why am writing so much on this today?

I had been to the hospital with appointment for my relative waited for 2 hours in pain and the secretary asked us to come tomorrow. I got angry and was fretting and fuming. If we can’t see the doctor when we need what is the point? This may be the breaking point and we may start looking out for another doctor. Swallowing the anger I brought the relative back home fixing an appointment for the next day. The secretary also assured that we will be able to see the doctor tomorrow. What happens to the people who already have an appointment tomorrow? So tomorrow the doctor has to attend to 10 appointments +5 of today’s spill over.

While I was returning I started thinking from the doctors perspective.

What was the reason given: There had been a surgery and the patient had suddenly become critical and a SOS message was sent to the doctor? He had to abruptly leave a patient in wheel chair that he was observing, asking them to wait and telling the others to leave. After all that is the oath that a doctor takes on acquiring the knowledge and skill of practicing medicine – Save life!

He can’t leave the other patients and her or his kith and kin in panic. His presence there was more important. We also needed him but when the question is whose distress are more the doctor decides. So he is right, the critical patient was important today, if I was the relative of that patient I would be the happiest person if my kith is saved.

Doctors are also humans beings they are not God to sway a magic wand and perform miracles. It is a science based on theories, observations, and symptoms and has a logical sequence. The brain of the doctor is also is of the same volume and measure. Just like the computer getting hanged if command is given to open multiple windows the brain cells of the doctor also will get hanged.

He also needs space and time to think. He also is likely to feel emotions and distress.

If the critical patient collapses today it is possible that my doctor may cancel all the appointments tomorrow so as to finish all the administrative formalities and uncomfortable questioning. Once before I had come across a doctor who said he will record the discussions with him. I was shocked.  Later I realized how important it is for the doctor also to save himself. We as patients are also brutally critical at times. He has to save his skin. He has a family to take care.

My sister in the past was thrown to the foot path while crossing the road in the age of 7 in a car accident. Our luck the car was driven by a doctor. He took personal care to treat my sister free of charge and visited our house every week for a month to see her improvement and lavished a lot of gifts. Now I realize that it was to avoid a police complaint. It never occurred to us then, we saw humanness in him and were all praise of him.

So is it not right to say that while the patient is in plight for cure, the treating doctor is also in plight to see that the patient is cured.