Doctors should be more compassionate towards patients, say experts

The increasing numbers of incidents in which infuriated patient parties have beaten up the doctors, ransacked hospital properties have made the medical practitioners in the state very concerned. Now, most of the physicians based in the city and suburbs believe that a self introspection is really the need of the hour.

The doctors should be more compassionate towards their patients and should always be involved in ethical practices to get rid of untoward incidents in hospitals, the experts feel.

The participants of Medicon International 2016 jointly organised by Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh and Association of Physicians of India, West Bengal Chapter, came to a single point of view that strong communication skills and ethical practices is the only way to solve these problems. Former bureaucrat Jawhar Sircar and renowned physician Sukumar Mukherjee were among the guests speakers.

“Good communications, effective skills and ethical practices can stop those things. The physicians in UK are now trying to build more strong communication with patients, which is very necessary. The doctors and patients’ relationship has to be very strong,” said Derek Bell, President, Royal College of Physicians, Edinburgh, UK.

“These disturbances are happening for the lack of communication on the part of doctors. Some doctors are not ethically practicing as well,” said Sujit Kar Purkayastha MD, Peerless Hospital.

“We are not making people aware. There is a difference between law and ethics. The doctors need to understand that,” Purkayastha added.

“We have learnt from UK that the UK doctors are working hard to build good communications with patients. A good temperament and ethical sense is required. The doctors need to have an adequate time for patients and for that patience is required. But all the doctors should not be judged similarly. There are many doctors who work silently, who are doing good job. But some old and young doctors are not doing good practices,” said Debasis Dutta, another doctor.