The human touch

“If organisations like Satseva (which provides home hospice care to terminally ill cancer patients) exist, it is only because doctors are unable to fulfill all the needs of the patients. What we fail to address the emotional needs of the patients which is as important as the physical ones.

“When a child is being operated, a cancer surgeon may remove the tumour after six to eight hours of surgery and then come out of the operation theatre with a halo around his head. But how many are conscious of the sorrow that his parents are feeling waiting outside?

“In my opinion a good doctor is one who can feel the pain of his patient, cry when his relatives cry and can feel the joy when one gets well. Unfortunately we doctors have lost the human touch that is so vital to the well being of our patients. “Besides it has been proved medically that cancer patients who talk out their problems, receive love and affection and listen to music respond better to treatment than those who are isolated and depressed.

“If the doctors have lost this human touch it is only because our lives have changed so drastically.

“It is not really possible for doctors to be good technocrats as I prefer to call them, as our world has grown beyond control. Years ago when a patient went to see a doctor he would spend at least half an hour with him. Now he barely has more than five to 10 minutes to give him.

“ The number of patients has increased, besides he has to keep abreast of the latest developments in medicine, so I don’t really blame them. But I feel sorry about the situation, because though we have made progress with treatments, we have lost out on this very important aspect.

Perhaps that is why alternative medicine has gained so much popularity.

“If you think deeply you will realise that doctors from alternative medicines do not rush you.

They have all the time in the world to listen to all your woes and this makes the patients feel happy. But I do not think that it can cure illnesses like cancer.

Allopathic medicine needs more family doctors “Like we had in the past. But now the lifestyle has changed so much that people go and see a neurologist if they have a headache. And if the doctor doesn’t ask for a CAT scan, he will surf the net and ask him why he is not doing so.

“A family doctor is essential because he knows the person, his temperament, his history. A specialist cannot do that. In fact abroad, medical schools have a specialisation in General Practice, because they have realised the true worth of a family doctor. It is very easy to be a specialist, because it is very glamorous and visible, but what takes real courage and a compassion for them to be a doctor who cares.

“In my profession I have seen many of my patients succumb to the disease. But what keeps me going is the fact that some years ago a child with leukaemia died, but now that is not so. Medical science has progressed to save such patients. Though we have not succeeded completely in the battle against cancer, we can be cautiously optimistic. This is what stimulates one to go on, gives one a ray of hope that one day we will conquer this disease”.