Sanctity endangered

Iv been crying myself hoarse trying to defend doctors to my relatives and friends for many years  ..ever since I entered medical school ..  I defend why they are worth the money they make .. I defend them as humans when their mistakes come to the fore .. I uphold all the sacrifices they have made and the valuable life saving skills they possess  .. I hate when doctors are publicly shamed and rightfully so ..

 Then one day my own relative falls ill and I accompany her to a specialists clinic at a Multispecialty corporate hospital nearby.. the doctor looks fresh faced and so well dressed and he greets us warmly .. but then he hardly takes 2 mins seeing her in the most casual manner .. quickly writes down a battery of expensive tests .. some completely unrelated and quite simply put, unnecessary .. I am a little taken aback because he knows I am a Pediatrician and hence would look through it .. when I ask him why they are necessary he smiles and says” don’t worry about it “ . I’m a little crestfallen because for one thing he is insulting my intelligence as a fellow member of the medical fraternity, even if in a very subtle manner.. I can see how the corporate demands had gotten to this gentleman and he has metamorphosed into just another puppet bringing revenue to this large brand with its shiny walls that scream out advertisement from every nook and corner ..

 I then look at him and start to wonder “ Was he ok with this when he was younger ? Surely he must have had great intentions when he had just started his profession .. then did he learn the ropes of the game and mould himself into it ? And now has it become second nature to him to investigate his patients at large?  And at one point he must have justified the unethical practice to himself as well .. cz there isn’t really a black and white is there ..Technically, he really didn’t do any harm .. 

 Where is the physical exam and the unhurried history taking ? Have we as doctors just become bridges between the patient and the laboratory .. we were to serve as way finders, showing the way with judgement and discretion .. instead we are assuming the role of middlemen.. There can be honour in the smallest of jobs we do, in the tiniest of interactions, and that is what makes us worth our while. The loss of that conscience is the norm at present it seems.

 I also felt a little odd that he did not waive off his consultation charges knowing I’m a doctor. Too much to expect, is it ? Medical etiquette and courtesy  have been dying a slow death as a business like attitude has taken shape .. after all, law defines the doctor patient relationship as a buyer-seller one .. and we are behaving in the same manner. For many of us, our sole purpose has become profit rather than clean practice ..

And when that becomes the general mindset, the sanctity of this profession will be hugely endangered.