SENSE- ITIVITY(SENSITIVITY ) LOST?

Nothing ached my heart more in the last week, not even the news of the ailing health of a political leader than the news of an Indian dentist Savita who was denied abortion citing religious laws.Gruesome Murder!!That is what it is .Everyone right from the doctor to the hospital must be stopped from functioning in the medical world!! I have now started believeing that sensitivity is fast disappearing from the medical arena. Not being offensive but it’s a fact that not all but there are definitely a lot of doctors and medical practitioners who are insensitive to their patients needs.

When I am sick , even the presence of my doctor makes me feel good.That is because of the positive vibes and the sensitive approach of my doctor towards me which makes me feel he is my hero.He is going to get me back on the track. Yes!! your doctor is your GOD when you are not well and I am sure all would agree to this.  I am surprised and shocked and I would like to know whether there is something called as medical ethics. Does religion stand tall over these ethics. But what is the use of talking now.. A wife is lost! A daughter is lost!

Do we every time have to wait for something gruesome as this to change old laws and regulations??

Recently I had been to a sonography centre to get my routine checkup done. This was my first sonography to be done and my first ever visit to such a centre. Waiting patiently for the doctor to come, I spent two hours moving here and there and controlling my urge to pee because the water needs to be retained In the body for accurate test.( As advised by my doctor). The gal sitting at the counter came and without taking into consideration as to which patient had been waiting since how long started taking random numbers and started writing down few details. It was two hours since I have been waiting and I was now restless because I had not relieved myself because the tests were still pending. I went in and told her about it and she is like go and relieve yourself and wait for an extra hour. Not willing to wait for an extra hour I sat in the waiting area patiently waiting for my turn.

Next to me around 30 expecting mothers were sitting. She came out and asked out loudly “Who is the first one to arrive?”  I raised my hand.

And she yelled out “Are you pregnant?” Thirty faces turned to me waiting eagerly for an answer. I was too shocked with such a question which I believe I have never even asked myself. She kept going on “  Write down your husband’s name etc  etc”  I managed to say “Excuse me I am not pregnant “ .The question is do I have to discuss my medical history infront  of 10-15 unknown people sitting around there just because someone is ignorant of the medical ethics. My medical history or rather anyone’s should be known only to his/her doctor and no one else. My medical history is my business and not anyone else’s. Having issues of hormonal imbalance and an irregular menstrual cycle, I decided to check in at a gynaecologists  place. On asking whether I was married I said no. As soon as I told her about the irregular menses and my relationship status, there was an outburst and she is like go get your pregnancy test done. I was like, ”Excuse me!!i am not pregnant” . And she is like that is for me to decide. Once the tests were done and the tests came out negative she became all sensitive and was like you know today’s generation blah blah bullshit. My question is will the doctors decide what an individual has to do with his /her life. The only duty of the doctors is to treat the patient well and see to it no harm is done to the physical and mental health of the patient. What if the individual is an unwed mom   ? What if she wants to raise a child without a father? Does she have to give explanations to the hundred people around her? I don’t think it’s any one’s business as to what one does with her /his life.

I have been to dispensaries where every single person comes to know what the other is going through.

This kind of an arrangement is fine when the patient is suffering from fever /cough . But this doesn’t work well when an individual is suffering from diseases like HIV/AIDS.

The privacy of a patient isn’t being respected . The moment a patient leaves the dispensary corridors everyone right from the compounder to the receptionist everyone  learns about what an individual is suffering from. The privacy must be restored in the system. Everyone right from the doctors to the ward boys must be trained to be sensitive and the way their approach should be towards a patient. Coming back to Savita’s case I think medical ethics and rules should be made above religion, caste and creed. Medical facilities should be made available equally to rich and poor. Today it is Savita, tomorrow it could be any of us. It better we face the  reality  and try to change things before it hits us hard.