Our medical health care system is being divided into government and private health care sector. It is recognized that the standard of health services the public expect are not being provided, be it a private organization or a government centre. Both have its own flaws. The problems that the patients suffer can be because of the hospital set up, it’s services,hygiene , efficiency of the staff, cost of the services, availability of doctors, technical resources or it can be because of the patient itself.
Government setups are a great option for poor low socioeconomic group. Services are given free of cost and all people specially below poverty line can avail services .
But its noticed that patients relying on government centres are victims of poor medical care,as they are overcrowded, short staffed and have meager funds to provide for medicines and health supplies. Also, patients have to wait for the doctors arrival, as they don’t reach on time and extended waiting time because of long queues. Moreover, syringes and surgical equipment are repeatedly used on different patients without adequate sterilization allowing further spread of deadly viral infections among unsuspecting patients.
Also, many a times patient gets misinformed , he has to revisit for the same problem again the next time. Sometimes the concerned staff doesn’t reach on time. Patients have to wait for vaccinations, medicines etc. It has also been noticed that staff in a government organisation show less enthusiasm for giving services to the patient. It takes more time for things to be materialised that adds on to the misery of the patient.
These hassles can be rectified by regular visits by senior authorities / check ups . So that late comers and defaulters at work are brought into notice. And appropriately punished . Also, hygiene , efficiency of the staff,absenteeism, technical resources are assessed for its efficiency . It takes just few bad workers/ staff/ resources to spoil the system.
Due to these problems faced by a patient visiting a government setup, they sometimes choose to go to a private doctor for a detailed consultation and satisfaction.
Private doctors ensure that the patient is taken care of. The patient is properly examined , heard and given medicines for a good recovery.
But it’s noticed that private doctors are over-opiniated. They impose things on you- be it medication, diagnostic tests. It’s been seen that not all, but some tests can be avoided . But we tend to go for these tests as the doctor has prescribed and the doctor will not start the further treatment , if the tests are not being done.
It sometimes becomes difficult for the patient to actually take the opinion of what the doctor is saying. Many patients are not satisfied with a private doctors opinion as they think that it might be imposed for making extra renumeration.
It has also been noticed that a condition that can be treated with conservative forms of therapy, is strongly advised to go for surgery. Private doctors nowadays jump to surgical options for a condition that could be managed with conservative methods.- like medication and physiotherapy.
Another concern is the Surgery , We’ve all heard the horror stories about hospital risks after surgery. There’s the danger of medical complications, like bleeding or infection. Then there are the human errors, like getting the wrong drug or dosage. “Even though you’ve got a lot of well-trained people in a hospital working very hard, they’re still people. “And people sometimes make mistakes.”
Therefore , to avoid any hassle during your doctors visit to a hospital or clinic, it is very important to know beforehand, what questions you need to ask. Prepare a list of questions to avoid wasting of your time and irrelevance of your visit. Know the timings and take a prior appointment. You should never give up responsibility for your own health. The advice from all the experts is to pay attention and ask questions.
“In the old days, good patients were the ones who didn’t make any noise and were grateful,”. “It turns out that those patients don’t do so well. The ones who do well are the ones who ask questions.”
So to lower your hospital risks/ and enhance your clinic visit, you have to be an active and involved patient. Not only will it give you a feeling of control over your situation, but it may even improve your care. If you’re too dazed after surgery to pay attention, your family members should be asking questions on your behalf.
“Questioning authority is never easy,” . “But remember it’s your body, your health, and your life. If you ever have questions or concerns about anything during your clinic visit/ or hospital stay, you have to speak up.”
Written and compiled by Dr Divya Gaur
Senior Physio and proprietor
Physioheal Clinics