Dr. Md. Enamul Hoque :
Recently a murder case is filed against some doctors at the BSMMU for allegedly stealing kidney of a woman. Following diagnosis, other doctors found that both of the kidneys were missing! She died soon. The victim’s son, who is a film maker, accused the doctors of removing her mother’s kidneys in a “planned manner with an ill intention. Thus the relationship between doctor and patient is now a paradox in Bangladesh. Trust, knowledge, regard, and loyalty are the four elements that form the doctor-patient relationship, and the nature of this relationship has an impact on patient outcomes. But, the doctors are losing respects and trust of people day by day because of their medical mal practices. This practice is an issue of serious human rights concern that directly affects right to life and right to health care.
The doctor-patient relationship is considered to be the core element in the ethical principles of medicine. It is considered that the doctor-patient relationship is sacrosanct. Patients rely on them to help them make life-saving decisions. But, there has been erosion in this relationship over recent years. Doctors are no longer held in such high esteem as they were decades ago.
Doctors are committed to serving people. But, every year many patients die from ‘wrong medical treatment’ and ‘negligence of doctors’ across the country. Negligence is a common phenomenon in the hospitals and clinics in Bangladesh resulting in huge numbers of deaths of ill-fated patients. It is a kind of professional misconduct on the part of a medical practitioner. We do not have current data in our hand; but, in 2017 nearly 650 patients were died of negligence of doctors across the country.
There are hundreds of thousands of complaints of cruelty, selfishness, misconducts, and barbarism or brutality against the physicians across the country. The public is losing their trust in doctors as most of the physicians are driven for profit only. The people frequently blame that doctors don’t properly listen to patient’s concerns and don’t care what they want or need. This is not a denying fact that there are good numbers of doctors who are serving people as their social responsibility.
The people of Bangladesh saw the ugly faces of doctors during the initial months of COVID-19 pandemic; and the people lost their trust on those doctors drastically. A soldier must not leave the battle field in fear of injury or death; even it is unthinkable for soldiers; they would rather die than flee from the battle ground. Any pandemic is like a battlefield for doctors; they should not flee or hide themselves in a crisis like COVID pandemic; but many of them did it.
A big part of the doctor community was found irresponsible and insincere to the patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some of them fled from their chamber and remained absconded in this big national crisis when their services were very crucial for the nation. The whole nation was seriously shocked and puzzled at the behaviours of doctors. It may be mentioned that a good number of doctors worked very hard in the pandemic and even sacrificed their life having infected by the COVID-19.
The cruelty of doctors to the patients and their relatives are manifold. In the government hospitals, they hardly care the administration; mostly the patients and their relatives are humiliated and treated very inhumanly. Outside the hospital, in the private chamber or clinic, they appear as angry figures; take high consultation fee ranging from Tk.500- Tk.1500 for one time visit irrespective of patients and their ability. The doctor’s fee in Bangladesh is much higher than doctors of neighboring countries. It is already known to everybody that our doctors suggest unnecessary diagnostic tests just to gain a significant amount of financial percentage from the clinic.
It should not be overlooked that most of the doctors, except a few, are educated at free of cost; the government invests huge amount of money after them with a view to receiving service from them. Unfortunately, many of the doctors do not show their gratefulness to the nation through their service; rather they turn themselves as “money making machines” at the cost of patients’ life.
Medical diseases are becoming more complex, and people are living longer. All doctors need to remember their oath and put the patient back in center focus. All doctors are not bad doctors; some doctors are really good doctors; they find happiness at the smile of the patients. There are so many amazing stories of heroic doctors around us. We all need to take a stand against those doctors who are abusing the profession for their own gain.
A greater sense of accountability, will not only encourage public trust upon medical profession, but also substantially improve the overall situation of health care services in our country. Patients need to regain trust on doctors, and the profession needs to re-establish its integrity. The government has to play the central role in order to bring a positive change. At the same time, it is also essential that the civil society have to trigger the process and raise voice against medical malpractices in the country.
(Dr. Md. Enamul Hoque is educational researcher and teacher educator. He is ex-professor of English. Email: [email protected])
