7 things we expect from Indian doctors in 2018

From unnecessary drugs to medical negligence, here's what went wrong in the past and what we hope won't happen in 2018!

As this year begins with a strike by the medical community, which threatens to affect OPD patients and routine surgeries, we wonder what 2018 has in store for us. Whether or not the strike is justified is a separate question. We are concerned with the issues that affect the quality and type of medical attention available to us, especially at private clinics and hospitals.

In 2017 we heard about patients attacking doctors when they felt they did not receive proper treatment, we read about mishaps in hospitals which lead to the death of patients and we saw rising distrust of doctors and hospitals.

Here s a list of things that we hope will be different in 2018 so we can have access to quality healthcare.

1. Say no to unnecessary tests.

Many doctors receive a percentage or a cut for referring patients to specific labs for tests. Famous doctors like Dr Ramakanta Panda of the Asian Heart Institute have openly spoken against the practice of cutbacks received by doctors. Not only are these tests expensive, but the patients are forced to undergo unnecessary pain and trauma.

2. Prescribe generic drugs.

There are rules which clearly spell out that doctors are supposed to prescribe generic drugs in a legible handwriting. But how many doctors you know have started listing generic drug formulations instead of branded drugs despite Prime Minister Modi advocating the same?

Are you wondering what the difference between generic medicine and branded medicine is? If there are cheaper alternatives to branded drugs, it is your duty to let the patients know so they can take a call.

3. Follow a transparent billing policy.

The case of the 7-year old who died due to dengue and the hospital raking a huge bill rocked the country last year. While this is a major problem for hospitals, it should serve as a reminder to all doctors that they need to charge patients in a transparent fashion. Today, there are varying rates at different private clinics even for things like vaccinations for infants. Why not charge at actual-cost plus consulting for these services? Or, in the case of OPD patients mention dates and not charge for follow-up visits within a week.

4. Stop being publicity hungry.

One of the most famous cases last year was that of Eman who travelled all the way from Egypt for a weight loss surgery. Many wondered whether it is indeed possible to lose so much weight. We took this question to Dr Ramen Goel, Bariatric Surgeon, Wockhardt Hospital and this is what he had to say about weight loss after bariatric surgery. Instead of raising an obscene amount of money on such endeavours, patients would be better served through the charity of patrons and doctors who could support critical patients in India.

Whether it is the story of Eman or any other news like that of a 72-year-old giving birth, when such type of reports appear over and over, people don t get a sense that such cases are exceptions and not the rule. It raises the expectations of many who are ignorant about such procedures and may look at, say, surgery as a viable option to lose weight or try to get pregnant at a later age without considering the risks.

5. Be diligent, not negligent.

The case of the lady who delivered a baby after an abortion made us wonder who we can and cannot trust. Reports of botched abortions or babies being declared dead but found alive later are not only scary but also add to the wariness of patients. Repeated news about doctors being attacked does affect their psyche and many of them have spoken to us in the past about the need to make doctors feel secure and the stress they go through. While the diligent ones are getting penalised for the negligence of a few, it is important that doctors themselves help prevent untoward incidents by weeding out the rotten apples in the system.

6. Stop prescribing antibiotics unnecessarily.

India bears a huge burden of infectious diseases and has been contributing to the rise in antimicrobial resistance because of the overuse and misuse of antibiotics. There are many factors which are contributing to making antimicrobial resistance (AMR) a reality and the World Health Organisation (WHO) is concerned about the rise in drug-resistant bacteria and increased risk of ineffective treatment especially in a country like India. Among the many issues which we need to address, one of them is the indiscriminate use of antibiotics to treat non-bacterial infections.

Here are few important facts and guidelines on antibiotics and antimicrobial resistance by Indian Medical Association (IMA) you need to know. We hope that doctors will take note and stop prescribing antibiotics for viral infections.

7. Last but not the least: Show transparency in diagnosis and treatment.

Most doctors start writing a prescription before the patient has even finished describing the ailment. They have less than 5 minutes to spare during OPD and discourage any questions. They also expect absolute trust and look at any probing as a sign of mistrust. The mention of Google or any online source sends them into a tizzy. Over the years, there has been a rise in unnecessary knee replacement surgeries, fake IVF clinics have mushroomed all over the country and doctors have spoken to TheHealthSite.com about the need to seek a second opinion to prevent unnecessary treatment and before accepting a diagnosis.

We hope that in time, doctors will learn to partner with patients in their treatment and point the interested ones to the right online resources, such as this, instead of being disparaging of any Web-based information that their patients look up. This kind of transparency will go a long way to mend the breach in doctor-patient relationships in India.

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