Lack of conscientiousness

A doctor-patient relationship rests on the foundation of trust. A patient goes to a doctor trusting the latter with his or her life. Similarly, since psychological well-being first of all is important to ensure speedy recovery, a doctor makes the best effort to win the patient’s trust. Sadly, this vital component of the medical world has been badly bruised in recent times. Not that it was ever in good health. While this scarred relationship may not really impact the society’s affluent who can still choose to fly abroad – as they more often than not do – to consult with the best medical physicians around the world, the rest feel that they are left to choose between the devil and the deep blue sea. This situation has to be rectified. But that can only happen if what happened in Chitwan Medical College is not repeated.



Purnakali Dhakal, 57, of Kamalnagar, Bharatpur Muncipality-4 had to part with her life in the medical college due to the sheer negligence of doctors and health workers. Dhakal who was an asthma patient was given medication for tuberculosis when she was confused with another patient. Though this goof-up that cost the patient her life may read like an isolated incident, it is not. Earlier this month, Bharatpur Cancer Hospital removed the uterus of a woman who had been admitted for a throat operation. The reason: They mistook her for another woman. These are clear cases of gross negligence. The medical world demands the highest level of conscientiousness – more so in Nepal because most of the times the patients are uneducated and are thus unable to question the doctors unlike the educated lot – but that unfortunately seems to be missing here.



In the process, what happens is that precious lives are lost unnecessarily. Those who live to see another day despite incorrect diagnosis and treatment have to pour in more money later to get cured leaving them with nothing by the time they regain sound health.



The solution perhaps lies in coming up with strong punishment as well as protection for medical practitioners. There have been times when doctors have been manhandled by furious relatives of patients. While such incidents call for protection of those in the medical field, happenings such as the ones cited above demand a punishment mechanism in place as well.



Those in the medical profession cannot be allowed to go scot-free when they play with the lives of their patients. While the monetary returns from the medical profession in Nepal may not be as high as that in the advanced countries, thus potentially serving as a disincentive to be as meticulous as their counterparts abroad, what doctors and nurses have to keep in mind is that the day they chose to enter this profession is also the day they chose to devote their life to the service of others. They should not so quickly forget their Hippocratic Oath.

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