THE EDITOR, Sir:

As a member of the medical profession, and especially as a general practitioner, I feel compelled to reply to Hartley Neita's article in The Gleaner of Saturday, November 10, titled, 'There are no GPs around anymore'. First, I want to make it clear that the general practitioner continues to play an invaluable role in the health care in this country and the rest of the world.

The general practitioner of whom Mr. Neita wrote, God rest his soul, was a selfless individual, male, of course, sacrificing his life for his patients. He got very little sleep, took little care of himself, but he was revered and respected by all, and no matter what time of night he went out to see his patients no one would ever hurt him.

He spent little time with his family and his wife was a dedicated homemaker who took care of his family's needs. She must have been a lonely woman, however, but she and all the children had to pattern their lives around his noble ideals and she remained faithful to him through thick and thin.

Picture the general practitioner of today. Typically, he is a man married to a professional woman who has her own goals and ambitions.

Role model

They have children, some of whom are boys who need to have a visible role model in their lives with all the outside influences that now exist.

If there are girls he needs to teach them the qualities of a good life partner. His wife will get frustrated if he does not spend time with her, and since she is liberated she does not believe she has to be faithful to a man who loves his work more than his family.

The following scenario is becoming more of the norm, considering the ratio of males and females now doing medicine. The general practitioner is female, like me, married with children. Her husband expects her to contribute to paying the bills but still expects her to do her duties as wife and mother.

She has to spend quality time with her husband, or some other woman will gladly perform her role. He expects her to manage the home affairs, in addition to doing her job, just as is expected of all working women today. She has to be involved in her children's activities and help to mould them as all good mothers do.

The general practitioner today has to be up to date with her malpractice insurance because she knows that because she is human, she can make mistakes. She knows that her patients may not accept her mistakes but may expect compensation.

She has to find time on the weekends or late evenings to attend continuing medical education seminars in order to keep current with what is happening in the field of medicine. Her patients are educated and have access to information and constantly question her judgement.

Supportive colleagues

I am happy for the advances in technology because I do not have to behave as if I am God, and I and my patients can be sure of my diagnosis so that they can receive the proper treatment. I am happy to have supportive colleagues in the form of specialists who can deliver medical care beyond my expertise. I am happy that because of technology I and my patients can enjoy an extended lifespan and are not doomed to suffer all the diseases that our forefathers suffered, because we can be accurately screened and treated by these specialists using their instruments and computers.

So, I agree with Mr. Neita, GPs are not the way they used to be.

To disagree with him, we continue to use much of our old-fashioned instruments and methods of examination to diagnose but both ourselves and our patients have come to appreciate their limitations. We continue to care about the welfare of our patients but, in addition, we want to have fulfilling lives for ourselves and our families.

I am, etc.,

SHARON EAST-MILES

18 Tangerine Place, Kingston 10.

(An edited response to Hartley Neita's column)