Debraj Shome - Dear People, with Love and Care, Your Doctors: Heartfelt Stories about Doctor-Patient Relationship

Dear People,

with Love and Care,
Your Doctors

Dear People,

with Love and Care,
Your Doctors

Heartfelt Stories about Doctor-Patient Relationship

Debraj Shome
Aparna Govil Bhasker

BLOOMSBURY INDIA

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First published in India 2019

This edition published in 2019

Copyright Debraj Shome and Aparna Govil Bhasker 2019

Illustrations Debraj Shome and Aparna Govil Bhasker 2019

Debraj Shome and Aparna Govil Bhasker have asserted their right under the Indian Copyright Act to be identified as the authors of this work

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ISBN: TPB: 978-9-3871-4694-5; eBook: 978-9-3871-4695-2

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The opinions expressed in the ensuing chapters and stories are the personal opinions of individual authors of those chapters. The facts and opinions appearing in the chapters do not reflect the views of Dr Debraj Shome, Dr Aparna Govil Bhasker and Bloomsbury Publishing. We do not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.

Names of patients have been changed in all the chapters in view of patient confidentiality.

To my five-year-old son, Arvin, for being ever accommodating and understanding that his mother may sometimes need to care more for other people

Aparna Govil Bhasker

To every patient, in the hope of beginning a new chapter in the doctor-patient relationship

Debraj Shome

The authors pledge to perform 101 subsidised surgeries for needy patients, from the proceeds of this book, through the Debabrata Auro Foundation.

CONTENTS

Dear People,

Once upon a time, doctors were considered akin to God. The stethoscope was revered and their healing touch was discussed far and wide. The doctor-patient relationship was a pure bond, unaltered by technological interference. Dont get us wrong; theres much to cheer in the way we live today, but a lot is still elusive. Times have changed and from being thought of as divine, doctors are now routinely assaulted and hospitals vandalised. There are many discouraging stories of the strained doctor-patient relationship in the media on a daily basis. Widespread distrust exists between both, patients and doctors, such that it almost feels like people are at war with their healthcare providers. The reasons are plenty and maybe they can be best addressed by a deep introspection by both doctors and patients.

Let us begin by telling you our side of the story, the doctors perspective.

Millions dream of becoming a doctor one day. As did we. It remains one of the most coveted career options for young people globally. The journey is not easy, and only a select few are able to fulfil this aspiration. It takes more than a decade to become a super-specialist and a lifetime to understand and master the art of healing. This is probably the longest that any professional needs to train. But, learning about the human body and mind is merely one of its many facets. Medicine is also about connecting with people, getting them to trust you, reassuring them of recovery, and being with them in their most difficult times. In that respect, medicine isnt an absolute science and at the end of the day, doctors too, are only