Garth Rattray
Years ago, a popular columnist wrote an essay berating the office procedures of one doctor who earned his ire. It had many misconceptions and generally portrayed doctors as uncaring, arrogant, money-oriented people. Now I see where the actions of some doctors have inspired a recent piece titled, 'When doctors play God'. I feel compelled to, once again, dispel any notion that doctors, in general, are profiteers of other people's suffering or try to play God.
When patients are in agony or gravely ill, they and their loved ones sometimes wish that doctors could work miracles. However, every doctor knows full well that he/she is not capable of filling the Deity's shoes in any way. Medical science has many limitations and, sooner or later, everything that we do to and for our patients will fail and they will die. Some doctors are so cognisant of this that they keep a safe emotional distance from their patients and this defence mechanism may sometimes be misconstrued as stoicism.
In every field of endeavour, there are who that represent the antithesis of what their profession promulgates. My profession is no exception. Therefore, I can't speak in defence of every single medical practitioner. There's no doubt that some 'doctors' (persons skilled or specialising in the healing arts) are de facto businesspeople making a living through the practice of medicine. However, they are in the minority.
God complex
The notion that, on a whole, doctors have a 'god complex' is absurd. The practice of medicine carries with it awesome responsibilities. The very idea that people entrust their most prized possession (their bodies) to us is both humbling and stressful. Doctors know all too well that they can only assist the body to heal itself, the rest is up to nature and God.
Unfortunately, working in the public health system where the hours are ridiculously long (I used to work 120 hours each week), the sheer number of patients is overwhelming, the staff complement is very low and the back-up services are inadequate, encourages, in some individuals, an apathy borne out of self-preservation, frustration and fatigue. This holds true across the board for all members of the health-care team.
Nobody likes to wait for a long period of time on anyone. Several of my patients opt to visit doctors, renowned for rushing through patients, with their minor problems, but come to me having accumulated a long list of complaints that require a listening ear, undivided attention, analytical reasoning and lots of time. Subsequently, I am constantly being cussed out by other patients when they have to wait a long time.
This is a no-win situation. When we try to be thorough and respect the needs of patients by listening to their problems, taking the time to examine them appropriately, explaining to them what's going on inside them, explaining their treatment modalities and counselling them, other patients grow weary and unload their frustrations at the long wait. When I jokingly offer to hurry their visit, that suggestion is always greeted with a resounding 'No!'
Compassion
The Medical Association of Jamaica, the Caribbean College of Family Physicians and the Association of General Practitioners of Jamaica take great pains to constantly reiterate the need for compassion for and communication with our patients. However, I agree that a few of our nurses and doctors need to be taught more than just the science of patient care, in order to empathise with the sick and suffering, while keeping an even keel emotionally to render objective assistance when needed.
Dr Garth A. Rattray is a medical doctor with a family practice. For feedback, email: garthrattray@gmail. com, or columns@gleanerjm.com.
