Abid Ahmad Shah
Today, the world over, a number of issues confronting the societies are discussed day in and day out and intellectual analysis and outpourings start to emanate once the issue at stake draws the attention of masses in the society, Healthcare is one such issue which holds a tremendous significance in our societies owing to the large number of patients in the world and need for medical interventions thereof. Doctors and patients form a vital and core component of the healthcare system. Healthcare has come a long way since times immemorial from traditional forms to scientific ones and assumed a significant posture in the contemporary times due to skyrocketing ascendency in the number of ailments and diseases. The intervention of technological inputs and paraphernalia has lent a renewed impetus to the state of healthcare the world over. Today health-related issues have created a sort of furore all over the society. No family is aloof of the health related problems, and thus medical intervention is the need of hour, where the role of doctors assumes a central primary importance and patient’s role comes secondary. This is where the argument starts. In the system of healthcare, the key concern is the health of the patient, although, respect and care of the mutual entities, that is doctors and patients vis-a-vis each other overwhelms the whole argument and is clarion call of the hour.
Doctors as the saviours of the human beings need to be treated in respect and kind regards. Their hands create a state of balance in the unbalanced unhealthy human beings. In Kashmir, the patients seem to be the bruised souls with hurted hearts and may sometimes out of mental stress behave impolitely with the doctors, or even their attendants. This is where the role of medical ethics comes into play. Patience of the doctors can be tested in times, but, persuasions, motivations and ethical conduct can override the rage and fury thereof. Today writers write that doctors are blamed for all and sensationalism of media outpours once a gory episode occurs within a hospital leading to the assault and damage of the doctors in Kashmir. It is said that policy interventions of the government is need of the hour to provide security to the doctors. But, the constructive role of the doctors can change healthcare by bringing a paradigm shift in their behaviour and consultations can turn as boost in arm for the overall healthcare system. In Kashmir, few doctors who go through the brain drain are paid handsomely and those sitting back in the valley dodge the responsibility of the healthcare. Sometimes, episodes of medical negligence occur which cause mayhem for the concerned doctors. This is not the end of the story. Few doctors also behave differently with the patients. Recently, for a consultation at the government hospital in Kashmir, when my turn came and I entered a well-lit room where a doctor was sitting on a chair, few non-local young labourers entered also. They showed medicines to the doctor and after one of them said something, the doctor got enraged and began shouting at the non-local patient. The words he minced echoed in the room and were, Have you not heard my name. I will throw you out of the window. Tum dafah hojao (Get lost)…
Again, he prescribed me medicines and asked me to show him the same. I asked for a pen among a bunch of pens on his table so that i can tag back of the medicine covers about the timings of the medicine, which he rejected and said in an overtone, this is shopkeeper’s job. This is where the egos get hurted and bruised. Doctors’ words can make or break the bond of patient-doctor relationship. The only argument vis-a-vis the system in general and other doctors in particular is that love and respect thy patient, your respect will automatically flow in the long run.
(The author hails from Seer Hamdan Anantnag Jammu and Kashmir .He writes on diverse issues and particularly on Kashmir issue. Besides teaching, career counselling, motivational lectures and writing are his other professions. Views are his own, [email protected]).
