Eliminating the unpleasant

The reported assault on a doctor at SMHS hospital and the response to it by the doctors at this hospital indicates a deeper problem. It is not just about one instance, it about a persistent ecosystem in which such problems are bound to arise. In fact this is not the first instance, even among the reported ones. You ask any doctor, and you will listen to dozens of such experiences in the life of an individual doctor. Now turn to any one who has visited any hospital and you will come across very unpleasant experiences. So that means it is not about an individual or about a particular situation. There is something deeper to it, and that needs a dispassionate searching out.

Unfortunately, on all such occasions we come across some emotional outbursts, particularly from the side of the patients and attendants. In some cases doctors also respond, explaining the other side of the story. The pattern that has emerged over the years, and to which the social media has contributed largely, is that doctors are cursed, and they are thought to be disrespectful towards the patines and attendants, and thus an emotionally charged up narrative is pumped into the public space.

In all such cases it is projected that patients and attendants comprise the aggrieved party. The judgment against doctors is pronounced even before hearing the case. That is the first mistake. Without knowing well where the fault lies, we tend to blame doctors. So the first correction that is needed is for the media to undergo a strict fact check.

As a matter of policy, the concerned department needs to train the staff, doctors and para medics, on how to deal with people. Since hospital is a space where patients and attendants are already under severe stress, it is the professional obligation of the administration and the people who deliver services at each layer of the healthcare that they enhance their capacity to deal with pressure situations.

What is further needed is an real upgrade in terms of digital systems reducing human interactions. If hospitals are equipped with such systems, it will close many entry points where from stress, and consequent unpleasant engagement between patients and the hospital staff, creeps in.