Editor,
The lack of empathy and the growing sense of entitlement displayed by certain doctors in our area have become a matter of serious concern. What patients encounter is, at times, not merely professional indifference but an alarming disregard for the very people who place their health and trust in their hands.
Patients already spend substantial amounts of money, time and effort seeking medical care. Yet, despite paying for a consultation, they are sometimes denied something as basic as adequate attention and respectful communication. Their concerns may be hurriedly dismissed, questions left inadequately answered, and consultations conducted with little patience or regard for the person sitting across the table.
The situation becomes even more frustrating during follow-up visits, where patients are charged the full consultation fee repeatedly, even when the consultation is brief, and their concerns are barely addressed. If a patient is expected to pay in full, is it unreasonable to expect the doctor to provide corresponding professional attention?
A medical consultation cannot be reduced to merely writing a prescription. A doctor has a responsibility to listen, explain and communicate with the patient. When a patient is left confused about their condition, treatment or the next course of action, the very purpose of consultation is undermined.
What is particularly disturbing is the apparent erosion of basic professional courtesy. A doctor may possess exceptional medical knowledge, but expertise cannot justify arrogance, dismissiveness or contempt towards patients. A white coat is not a licence for condescension.
The medical profession carries a solemn ethical responsibility towards patient welfare. The Hippocratic Oath is not a ceremonial promise to be forgotten after obtaining a medical degree; it represents a continuing duty to uphold the welfare and dignity of patients. Professional competence without empathy and accountability is incomplete healthcare.
This issue deserves greater scrutiny from hospital administrations and the authorities concerned. There must be mechanisms through which patients can raise genuine grievances regarding inadequate consultations, disrespectful conduct and unreasonable consultation practices. Professional accountability should not end at the prescription pad.
Patients are not asking for preferential treatment. They are asking for what should be the fundamental standards of healthcare: competence, dignity, accountability and respect. It is time that these principles are treated not as favours extended to patients, but as obligations inherent to the medical profession.
Toku Nyori