This is in response to the article that came out in My Repubilca Daily yesterday; junior doctors see patients referred by seniors.
It is said that the ailing patients, who travel from different parts of Nepal are completely ignored by specialized doctors and henceforth the junior doctors are treating them. Here’s what I think:
First of all, let’s talk about the junior doctors. Most of the doctors that handle such patients are “specialized to be” individuals and they are under the guidance of specialized doctors. If they follow the treatment protocol of the senior doctors and proceed accordingly, I do not see why people would judge their credibility?
Secondly, why is there a shortage of treatment modalities outside Kathmandu? a) Lack of coordination of the tertiary hospitals with the central hospitals, b) Patients decision: as most patients think that getting treated in the capital city will cure their aliment. c) Lack of the healthcare to plan initiatives, the system should have assessed the quantity of doctors that are required in both rural and urban areas and have generated medical students accordingly, d) Failure of the government to meet the desired needs of the population.
Thirdly, why do doctors miss their clinic duties to work in the Nursing homes? Just giving an instance here, if you offer a child chocolate over vegetable, he is smart enough to choose chocolates. What has the public sector done to attract doctors to their side? If Nursing homes provide security, where doctors are not beaten up randomly as they have done recently in the past few months, then why wouldn’t a sane normal human being discontinue or show displeasure over his government sector job?
Fourthly, Patients do create some unnecessary drama, some get satisfied with just few visits by specialized doctors and some expect their super busy doctor who probably handles fifty cases a day to be doing the normal vital parameter check up for them.
Fifth, I don’t think a doctor will prescribe the same drugs over and over again unless and until if the treatment protocol says so. Unless it was to correct a defect of some sort, which would mean that repeated intake of the drug is a must.
Sixth, it’s about time the healthcare sector was given to the private sector. Examples like these will keep on rising unless a permanent solution is brought. What good has the public sector done so far? It has successfully driven of all doctors from the country till now.
Doctors and Patient relationship is very fragile which needs constant nurture from both the sides, if patients start contradicting the knowledge of doctors then, may god save them!
