First day
of my internship! I was over enthusiastic and soon I came to know the real
challenges I was to face in my day-to-day life for being a medico.
It's not
that we, medicos always blame the other party for any untoward incident but we
do most of the times. And I think we blame it right. Well, I know what's in
your mind. All medicos are in my support and the others are not. Here, I am
sharing a few instances when patient-parties were not satisfied with my
services.
I was
posted in NICU. One evening, a two days old baby with life supporting system
rushed in. Ideally, no attendant is permitted inside but they were more than
five. "It's ICU, you should not be inside. Stay one, others go
outside." I told them. (Since morning I
have uttered the same sentence many times to many patient parties.) I
repeated thrice, they overheard. and lastly when I was loud, one of them
shouted at me, "I know this is ICU. I am M.Sc., my younger brother is
MBBS." Also someone in his relation was Zilla Parishad Chairman. I
realised that I shouted in vain.
Next
incident was in casulty. The patient suffered RTA (road traffic accident) and
in every medico-legal case we need to maintain extra documentation. I was
asking a few questions to this patient but he was busy in talking to someone
who was standing right behind me. I literally lost my temper and shouted at
both of them. Do you know what I heard from my behind? "You are a doctor,
you should be polite." He continued, "I am also educated, I'm a
reporter." I was like... just leave it. It's obvious that I overheard him
(because I am a doctor and I don't have the right to argue). After around half
an hour, the reporter came to me with a prescription. "Why 'calpol syrup'
has been prescribed? The baby is not having fever but he is suffering from a
swelling on his forehead." He asked me. I know he has every right to ask a
doctor such questions but his intentions were not good.
It's not
that we always come across non-co-operative attendants. One evening when I was
busy with paper-works, I heard the sister telling one old lady that she has
taught her how to deliver medication once and now she can't do the same. The
old lady replied, "I am illiterate,
old and the baby's father is differently abled. You are trained for that or
else I would have been a doctor. I don't know anything, you have to help me
out." I stopped writing for a moment and looked at her. "You are not
illiterate," I murmured. I asked the sister to help the old lady and to
attend her every time she gives a call. How would have others reacted if they
were in place of that lady? Let me make a guess,"Hello sister, Govt is
paying you for this, then why should I deliver the medication to the baby
(though he is my son). You'll have to attend my patient or else I am going to
complain against you." They would have been like "I am the master and
you are just a servant." It
happened many a times with me.
Anyway, I
know, I have to be happy with my day. It's 1st July, the Doctor's Day.
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