The doctors in society are learned fellows, who have got name & fame, irrespective of their field of interest/practice. General public do say that the doctors are next to God. In the ancient times medicine was practiced by Rishies and Saints in the Ashrams’. The Rig-Veda, Sushruta & Charka Samhita are example of ancient medicine Practices. This profession is a noble profession and people respect the doctors because they help them with healing touch. No doubt the lively hood of doctors is based on the money collected as fee/ charges for the procedure, which is increasing day by day and from cities to metro cities and thus causing trouble to general public.
Since last few decades the, relationship of doctors and general public is showing cracks. To add further there are self styled leaders in the general public, which misguide the laymen to fight against doctors in the name of fight for injustice to the common man. There are processions, news items and political pressure on doctors, who incidentally/ accidently got involved in these type of controversies.
People still respect the doctors a lot and try to understand the limits of human beings who are assigned the job of a healing hand (doctor) by the grace of God. There are few black sheep in the society, who try to tarnish the image of reputed noble men of health profession. Please mind my dear friends, our brothers and sisters of medical family do misguide the public and instigate them to go to court. A doctor, who is treating the patient, is equally intelligent and learned fellow. He knows how to treat the patient in that particular situation and circumstances. Whether he/she is right or wrong, it’s a matter of fate / chance. A doctor commenting upon the whole scenario forgets that, what he/she is seeing in that particular situation, it might be different when the other doctor has dealt with. Practicing medicine is not like solving a mathematical question, the situation changes every movement. For example a patient X came to me in emergency with road side accident and multiple compound traumas. I thought of inserting unreamed tibial nail, but at the nick of moment, I took the opinion of two orthopaedic surgeons and applied external fixator. There was no union and abscess formation occurred after four months due to bad fracture (bag of bones). Then came the role of my one fellow orthopaedician based in metro city of Bathinda. He fuelled patient’s mind against me, and the relatives came to me fully charged. There was big brawl over the issue. Second instance was that of a non union when a fellow orthopaedician told patient that a wrong/ faulty procedure resulted into non union. But revision surgery by same doctor failed to unite the adamant ends of fracture and thus again non union.
We know our practical problems better than anyone else. Failure rate is mentioned in books. Figures & facts of non union are there on internet, even then we can’t hold our tongue. One loose talk may spoil the whole sport. When confronted these loose talkers usually show ignorance about the whole incidence.
In one case, the decision of one leading cardiologist was condemned by fellow cardiologist. But at the end first one was proved to be right. Why we go for such cheap deeds? Ultimately we will lose the charm our profession. One thing is sure an advocate or layman may misinterpret us and may misguide the patient out of ignorance or for some monetary gain in relation to our work done or results. But we shouldn’t be the cause of misery of our fellow doctors. Oh! Yes but we shouldn’t forget our duty as human beings and law abiding citizens to bring the black sheep out of medical professionals in the lime light as no one is above the law. We must condemn the culprits who do illegal work such as sex determination, female foeticide malpractice and do misguide people. If we will start pointing fingers at such mean people, they may not dare to do it. Thus saving the respect of our noble profession.
Few weeks back in the press conference, one journalist asked that why normal delivery occurs in the hands of one doctor when another had said with full confidence that a LSCS is the only answer? What should be the answer? First one is wrong or second one is wrong? We should understand the situation when first doctor might have said LSCS, he/she may be thinking about duration of labour and labour induced metabolic fatigue besides foetal distress or CPD, difficult labour and many more reasons. But when second doctor steps in with a fresh mind might change the decision to go for little more trial of normal labour and may prove that his or her decision was right but if disaster occurs then what? So it is the duty of second doctor to take the patient into confidence and detail him/her about the genuineness of the decision of first doctor to save the glory of sacred profession.
In one last but not the least instance my dear friend a laparoscopic surgeon was made a scape goat as the patient examined by ultra-sonologist and CAT scan was diagnosed as a patient of cholilithiasis and during the laparoscopic procedure it turned out to be malignant. When patient showed his record to a surgeon of a prestigious institute of Ludhiana he just condemned the action of my colleague, forgetting the consequences of his comments which may cost dearly to the doctor concerned. And dear friends, he surly paid the price by carrying mental tension and facing the processions & media’s gossips.
If we want our image to be that of noble angels as people say and expect, we should go for a uniform rate / fee structure affordable and logical approach to patients. We must see to it that local blackmailers which pose to be leaders of masses shouldn’t get a chance to thrive on doctors, because one day we may fall in the net.
We all are in the same boat, stop drilling holes in it. Please stop criticising your colleagues in negative tone, and help making a healthy environment for health fraternity and good will of the society.
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