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Guest column: Building a bond of trust between doctor, patient
Why would a doctor spoil a case knowingly? Does anyone think about the condition of a doctor if something goes wrong with the patient?
It was a winter evening in 1969 when I was posted at the Civil Hospital, Fazilka. I got a call from the senior medical officer to attend to a delivery case near the Pakistan border. Being the only lady doctor in town, I headed for the village with a staff nurse and a male help. We took along a delivery kit and a few medicines, but there were no backups for oxygen or blood.
It was dark by the time we reached the isolated hut where the frail woman was crying in pain. The only source of light was a lantern. I requested the men of her family to shift the patient to hospital, but they refused. There was no way out but to conduct the delivery. I listened for the baby’s heart, luckily it was beating. I thanked God as the baby arrived, yelling loud and clear. The woman’s family had assured me that whatever the consequences, I would be sent back with my staff safely. Still, I could breathe easy only when we reached the hospital.
A doctor’s duty and the outcome
This happened more than five decades ago. When I look back, I wonder how we were so naïve to take such risk. I ask myself and my colleagues if such a situation were to arise today, how many of us would go to a remote village to conduct a delivery in the dark. I’m sure hardly anyone would risk it.
The reasons are clear; first being personal security. Nowadays, no doctor likes to visit an unknown patient. Who knows if someone is taking you for a ransom in the garb of a patient! Back then, such incidents were rare.
Second, if something drastic were to happen to the patient today, I may not have returned. About 50 years ago, we were made to understand that if we were putting in a sincere effort, no harm would come to us, even if the patient died.
Today, many patients believe a doctor is only making money and have become potential litigants. Every doctor wants that his patient should go back satisfied and fully recover as the goodwill brings in more people in need of treatment. So, why would a doctor spoil a case knowingly? Does anyone think about the condition of a doctor if something goes wrong with the patient? The doctor’s blood pressure falls along with that of the patient’s and he/she undergoes just as much stress.
Why put docs in the dock?
We doctors deal with a complicated machine, the human body, which responds in the most unexpected manner under stress.
Which professional can claim he/she is always right? We should not forget that a doctor is dealing with sick people who come to him of their own free will, especially in elective cases, and they have time to choose and decide on their doctor after consulting others. Why does he have to face the wrath of the same people if something adverse happens? In many cases, the doctor is manhandled, his clinic vandalised and he is even handcuffed!
In emergencies, it’s worse. If a doctor says he is not equipped for a case and advises the attendants to shift the patient to an institute, imagine his plight if God forbid the patient dies on the way. On the other hand, if he feels the patient might not survive the trip and wants to give him a last chance, he faces a backlash. This is in spite of the fact that everything is explained to the family and consent is obtained.
The doctor is blamed both ways. Why? Did he intentionally kill the patient or spoil the case? Why does the media splash the news without verifying facts from the doctor concerned? Does anyone think what will happen to his practice, which he has struggled to build for years?
Nurturing the bond with respect
In case of negligence and complications, there should be an inquiry by a senior medical faculty and strict action should be taken against the erring doctor. Even consumer courts should consult a board of doctors before admitting a case.
The doctor-patient relationship is one of trust. The doctor expects his patient not to conceal facts, follow the prescription and report to him in case of any problem. The patient also expects a sympathetic hearing and a frank opinion. If both parties are honest, there is no reason why there should be any problem. The sacred bond should be nurtured with respect.
The writer is a Chandigarh-based gynaecologist. Views expressed are personal . She can be contacted at queenkochhar@gmail.com
