# He dashed right towards me, interrupting my ongoing conversation with a patient mid-sentence. My natural urge is to burst out into a tirade lecturing on basic manners. But having been at this table for long, a table to doctor patients, a swarm of patients, at a public hospital, I long ago learned not to let irritability take the best of me (as much as I could). So I said, "Ba, I am talking to another patient, let me finish and I will see you, have a seat there." And I showed him a chair nearby. Instead, he decided to camp on the floor below the nearby sink. In a little while, he pulled out his thermos flask, cup and poured out warm water. He started sipping the water with loud noises.
# Another patient/family. He had brought his mother to see me. You can always see a massive relief in patient's/family's face when they finally get to sit with the doctor after who knows how long a wait they had to endure (public hospitals have indeed been successful in lifting up the eminence of their doctors). After spending some time collecting information about patient's ailments, examining, reviewing the investigations done so far we came up with a concrete plan of care. As I bid my farewell to the patient, the son reached his inner pockets and pulled out two candies: these were good chocolate candies. I wonder what transpired before this action. Did he pre-plan and went out to get candies early in the morning? Did he have a stack of candies at home that he decided to pull out a few before leaving for the hospital? Did he have discussion at home about the candies? Does he do that with all the doctors? Anyways, faced with an offer of candies in a mayhem of the clinic, I was a little taken aback. A proper response (professional response, I am taught) in these circumstances would be to politely decline. But I just could not say no to the innocent offer. I took the candies, thanking him and saying that it was completely unnecessary, and later gave it to a young, lean girl who had accompanied her mother to the visit.
I have spent almost a year now at this clinic: reaching the clinic before anyone did and leaving (mostly) after everyone left. The above interactions may sound romantic but the clinics at these public hospitals are not romantic places. They are unjust, chaotic and almost inhumane places. Having noticed this upon arriving, I had decided to invest my full-time at the outpatient clinic to see if things could be changed. After spending a year, as a powerless physician blabbering about the need to make some improvements, things have hardly moved. I can control what happens when the patient sits in the chair at my table but many of the patient's outcomes/experiences are determined by things that happen beyond that table. An interaction with a doctor is only a tiny part of what determines patient's overall outcomes. This relationship has not been productive in making any changes to things beyond that table. So I have decided to put an end to this relationship. Why is a complex matter, more in the purview of extensive personal deliberation.
I will dearly miss the patients visiting this public hospital and lovely and talented students. However, I have made a few friends in the process, with whom the quest for the betterment will continue.
# Another patient/family. He had brought his mother to see me. You can always see a massive relief in patient's/family's face when they finally get to sit with the doctor after who knows how long a wait they had to endure (public hospitals have indeed been successful in lifting up the eminence of their doctors). After spending some time collecting information about patient's ailments, examining, reviewing the investigations done so far we came up with a concrete plan of care. As I bid my farewell to the patient, the son reached his inner pockets and pulled out two candies: these were good chocolate candies. I wonder what transpired before this action. Did he pre-plan and went out to get candies early in the morning? Did he have a stack of candies at home that he decided to pull out a few before leaving for the hospital? Did he have discussion at home about the candies? Does he do that with all the doctors? Anyways, faced with an offer of candies in a mayhem of the clinic, I was a little taken aback. A proper response (professional response, I am taught) in these circumstances would be to politely decline. But I just could not say no to the innocent offer. I took the candies, thanking him and saying that it was completely unnecessary, and later gave it to a young, lean girl who had accompanied her mother to the visit.
I have spent almost a year now at this clinic: reaching the clinic before anyone did and leaving (mostly) after everyone left. The above interactions may sound romantic but the clinics at these public hospitals are not romantic places. They are unjust, chaotic and almost inhumane places. Having noticed this upon arriving, I had decided to invest my full-time at the outpatient clinic to see if things could be changed. After spending a year, as a powerless physician blabbering about the need to make some improvements, things have hardly moved. I can control what happens when the patient sits in the chair at my table but many of the patient's outcomes/experiences are determined by things that happen beyond that table. An interaction with a doctor is only a tiny part of what determines patient's overall outcomes. This relationship has not been productive in making any changes to things beyond that table. So I have decided to put an end to this relationship. Why is a complex matter, more in the purview of extensive personal deliberation.
I will dearly miss the patients visiting this public hospital and lovely and talented students. However, I have made a few friends in the process, with whom the quest for the betterment will continue.
