Doctor Dilemmas

I read a post by Pattu Raj here, about the way she’d been treated by doctors over decades. She seems to have been especially unfortunate. Here's just a couple of things she faced.

• Male doctors speaking only to her husband even if she was the patient. Wonder why? After learning all about the human anatomy for at least seven years are we to believe the male doc was overcome by shyness and couldn't address the female patient directly? Or did he think a female brain wouldn't be able to take in what he had to say? Surely he must have sat exams with female doctors, some of whom might have done better than him in the papers. Or perhaps he'd like to blame his rudeness on tradition.
• Being forced, as a prospective employee of a company, to get health certificates from a barely qualified and rude lady who used influence to land the job.

Of course, there is the other side too. I lived in India till the eighties. My second child was born in 1990. I especially went back to India to deliver the baby because I had full trust in my doctor of many years who had also delivered my first born. My only grouse against him – the waiting often stretched into several hours and was exhausting. As for my experiences with nurses and doctors in Indian hospitals – they were always professional, quite wonderful and very friendly. 

I was obviously disgusted by what Pattu Raj had to say about the treatment meted out to her - there's much more in her post. It gives rise to a whole barrage of questions. The first - who allows half qualified people to get away with practicing medicine? Does some governing body overlook this malpractice as long as its palms are greased? 

We all know what they should do. We also know they don't. It all boils down to what you can do.   How can you stop feeling helpless and cornered? For them to have the temerity to play with your health, your pain and your suffering! Can't you stop going to them and find a better doctor? That would soon make them toe the line.

If, for some reason you can't, why don't you get together with others living close by and start a discussion? Of course this involves donating a very important resource – your time, for a weekly meet up. Only you can decide if it is worth the effort. It might throw up some solutions.

To your health. May you always have the reassurance of a caring medical practitioner who is responsible and well qualified.