You must have heard of/read about that tragic case of a young mother dying because a well-known hospital did not admit her as a patient on time! Extremely tragic indeed! May her soul rest in peace! May her twins grow up to be healthy!
Beyond this particular case, this incident raises a lot of issues that I would like to address here. Yes, all big hospitals are money-minded. I would even go a step ahead, and argue that the "executive" programmes in cahoot with the insurance companies (who are really bothersome when it comes to the actual bill settlements ) can be the culprits.
Medical tourism that necessitates a certain set-up might make hospitals mean money machines. Yet another cause could be excessive specialisation in the medical field, and the simultaneous death of that institution called the "family doctor".
Despite all these stark realities, I would like to assert that my experience with the Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital is truly wholesome. As Sanju had registered Aai as a geriatric patient there, I used to be quite a regular there as Aai's immedite caregiver from the family, and for almost more than fifteen years. I would assert that the DM does care! Aai's gerontologist, Dr. Tamane, treated Aai as if she were a relative. Despite it being a big hospital, there was a personal touch at almost all patient care levels.
Well, unhappily, I would have to maintain that, may be, the newer set of nurses and doctors whom I had the misfortune of meeting during Aai's last hospitalisation there in January-February, 2021 was not as amicable. But the original old-timers ARE fabulous. Why, not only Dr Tamane's assistant doctors, even the nurses would greet me if we met accidentally.
About this unfortunate event, could I ask a few questions? If the poor mother-to-be was in acute labour, why was she not taken to her regular gynaecologist? Was she registered with the Mangeshkar hospital during her pregnancy and for her delivery?
Why was she taken to the far away Surya Hospital, if the newspaper reports are to be believed? I am sure that there must be any number of multi-speciality as well as regular gynac-and-obstetrics hospitals around, and on the way, right?
Sure, every hospital must be accountable. This is just to state that I always found the Deenanath to be considerate and compassionate. Hence it hurts to read reports trashing it!
Pratima@ Life matters! Death is tragic beyond words. Doctors are gods. Can they though help a patient who reaches the hospital too late?
No comments:
Post a Comment